Jupiter Hurling a Thunderbolt 1530 - 1537

Giulio Romano made this drawing of Jupiter sometime in the first half of the 16th century, using pen and brown ink with brown wash over black chalk. As you can see from the faint traces of the underdrawing, the artist started with a piece of black chalk to map out the composition. He then applied the brown ink with a fine nib to define his mythological subject, Jupiter, king of the gods. Notice the lines of force that Romano used to imply Jupiter’s power, with the hatching suggesting both the thunderbolt’s trajectory, and the shadow cast by Jupiter's muscular body and flowing robes. It is not made with traditional or industrial materials, but there's a great deal of thought and control behind its execution. The quality of the line is very high, indicating that this was not just a casual sketch. Instead, Romano has carefully considered the visual effect produced through the application of washes, which has imbued the artwork with a certain cultural and aesthetic significance tied to that of craft and fine arts. This kind of work reminds us that the distinction between high art and craft can be less meaningful than we often think.