A garzone grinding pigments
Drawing
1530s (made)
1530s (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This drawing shows an everyday scene that the artist would have seen in his own workshop. Like most successful artists at this time he employed a number of assistants to help with the preparatory work involved in producing a painting. In this instance the assistant is grinding mineral pigments which will be mixed with oil to make paint.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A garzone grinding pigments (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Red chalk on paper |
| Brief description | Parmigianino, (Francesco Mazzola) (1503-40) A painter's "garzone" grinding pigments on the lid of a chest Dalton Bequest |
| Physical description | Drawing. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | Parmigianino 1503-1540
A painter's Assistant Grinding Pigments on the Lid of a Chest
Probably 1530s
The Italian artist Parmigianino was a superb draughtsman. This drawing was one of over two hundred left to the V&A by Miss Emily Dalton of Leicester for the use of art students. The copying of old master drawings was a traditional part of an artist's training.
Red chalk on paper
Bequeathed by Emily Dalton 1900
Museum no. D.989-1900 |
| Credit line | Dalton Bequest |
| Historical context | The drawing shows a painter’s assistant (garzone) grinding pigments: it was the first stage of the artistic training within the workshop practice. Mr Popham dated this drawing in Parmigianino’s latest phase and compared the tightly curled hair with a drawing of a head of a youth at Chatsworth. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This drawing shows an everyday scene that the artist would have seen in his own workshop. Like most successful artists at this time he employed a number of assistants to help with the preparatory work involved in producing a painting. In this instance the assistant is grinding mineral pigments which will be mixed with oil to make paint. |
| Bibliographic reference | Giles Waterfield, ed. The Artist's Studio London: Hogarth Arts, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-9554063-3-1. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | D.989-1900 |
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| Record created | June 4, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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