Apollo & Daphne. School Of Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (1610-1662)

Drawing on black chalk paper, pen and brown ink, gray wash, framing lines in pen, watermark with a fox? in a circle and the letters N .. P Presented in a very beautiful old frame with its original gilding, molded crisscrossed with foliage. Total dimension with frame: 72 x 61 cm. The drawing alone: 44.5 x 31 cm Giovanni Francesco Romanelli (1610-1662) is an Italian painter of the Baroque period, famous for his frescoes and paintings with mythological and religious themes. Trained in the workshop of Pietro da Cortona in Rome, he developed an elegant and refined style, mixing classical influences and baroque innovations. Highly sought after by patrons and aristocrats of his time, Romanelli carried out important commissions in Rome, Paris and Viterbo. A great designer, Romanelli meticulously prepares his compositions by carrying out numerous studies. His drawings in black chalk, red chalk or brown wash, often enhanced with white, reveal an elegant line and an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and drapery. Some very accomplished sheets were considered works in their own right. The subject is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, and the treatment is characterized by great dynamism. The artist chose to capture the terror of young Daphne, having taken a vow of virginity, pursued by the ardor of Apollo. The rest is known: the pretty nymph begs her father, the river god Peneus, to deliver her, and he then transforms her into a laurel tree. Sold with certificate of expertise.