Executed with particular virtuosity, this drawing of a winged dragon with a coiled tail probably served as a study for the client. It is one of a series of eight drawings of dragons.
The author of this series of drawings has still not been identified, but we must no doubt search for the artist among Rubens’s entourage or followers. The dragon’s head is markedly similar to the monstrous creatures that can be seen in the master’s paintings and the shape of the wings and the dragon’s powerful tail can also be seen in one of the Rubens’s drawings. However, the dragons in this series are neither as lively nor as frightening as those in the works of Rubens.
Type:
Drawing
Material / technique:
Pen and Indian ink
Dimensions:
20,2 x 32 cms
Type of acquisition:
Heritage Fund Acquisition
Year of acquisition:
1996
Depository institution:
Stedelijk Prentenkabinet, Antwerp
Collection: