Écorché before Landscape (recto); Sketches of Standing Male Nude, Seated Child, Stooping Woman (verso)

Écorché before Landscape (recto); Sketches of Standing Male Nude, Seated Child, Stooping Woman (verso) is an intriguing drawing attributed to the circle of After Jan Stephan van Calcar (Netherlandish, 1499-1546/50) or After Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian (Italian, c. 1488-1576). Executed between 1580 and 1620, this sophisticated work showcases exceptional technical variety. The primary image on the recto was created using pen and brown ink, accented with brush and brown and gray wash on cream laid paper. It depicts a highly defined écorché, or flayed anatomical model, positioned dramatically against a softly rendered landscape background.

The meticulous study of human musculature, crucial for academic training in Renaissance and Baroque Italy, suggests that the drawing may derive from or be related to the widely distributed anatomical prints published by Calcar. While the detailed execution and use of wash on the recto demonstrate a finished study, the verso offers a contrast, featuring rapid preparatory figure studies in red and black chalk. These sketches capture a standing male nude, a seated child, and a stooping woman, demonstrating the versatile draftsmanship common in the period.

This drawing is classified as Italian due to its cultural context and style, linking it closely to the Venetian school even if the original influence stemmed from Calcar’s anatomical work. Providing valuable insight into the rigorous artistic training of the time, the piece resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As the artwork has entered the public domain, reproductions and prints are readily available for academic study.