Nymph Playing a Horn (recto); Bracket with a Man's Head (verso) 1500 - 1600

This drawing of a nymph playing a horn was made with pen and brown ink, heightened with white, on paper. At first glance, the monochromatic palette might appear limiting, but the artist uses this constraint to draw us into the sculptural interplay of light and shadow. Notice how the nymph, positioned centrally, is framed by swirling, ornate foliage. The composition feels almost like a bas-relief, where depth is suggested more through tonal variations than stark outlines. This piece destabilizes the conventional boundaries between drawing and sculpture. The nymph herself is not just a figure but becomes part of the ornamental architecture. The very form of the artwork challenges our fixed notions of what a drawing can be. It’s as though the artist is making a statement about the fluidity of categories, inviting us to see the nymph not as a mere subject but as an integral element in a larger, evolving design.