Pair of Italian Old Master Drawings of Soldiers

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18th Century Italian Old Master Drawings of Soldiers. These are fine, small illustrations done in brown ink with wash on … Read more 18th Century Italian Old Master Drawings of Soldiers. These are fine, small illustrations done in brown ink with wash on paper that resemble Old Master figure studies, each depicting a classical or Renaissance-style soldier. One is titled il Geurieo (The Warrior) Antonio Bute and the other titled il Sargente (The Sargent) Saltarelli. The il Gueriero depicts a warrior holding a spear aloft in his right arm. He wears a short tunic and plumed helmet, with a sword at his side. The il Sargente depicts a soldier holding a spear in his right hand, standing with a counterpoise stance, left hand on hip. He too wears a short tunic and has a sword. Artists in this period often created such small-scale studies either as exercises or as preparatory sketches for larger works.
Most likely theatrical costume or figure studies from around the 1750s, possibly linked to theatrical troupe productions common in Naples during this time period. See less