The Virgin Adored by Saints (recto); Study of the Torso Belvedere (verso)

Peter Paul Rubens’s The Virgin Adored by Saints (recto); Study of the Torso Belvedere (verso) is a compelling double-sided sheet illustrating the foundational and thematic interests of the Baroque master. The recto, executed in pen and brown ink, features a preliminary sketch of a religious assembly, centered on the Virgin Mary. This devotional composition includes several attendant Saints, drawn with characteristic energetic lines that suggest a rapid conception of a complex figural arrangement, likely intended as a preparatory study for a larger oil painting or altarpiece.

The reverse side offers a significant contrast in subject matter and technique. Here, Rubens utilizes red chalk to render a focused Study of the Torso Belvedere, a celebrated antique fragment highly esteemed by Renaissance and Baroque artists. This rigorous study of the famous Male Nude statue highlights the artist's dedication to mastering classical anatomy and form, a crucial component of academic artistic training during his lifetime. The powerful, muscular rendition of the torso demonstrates the depth of Rubens’s engagement with Greco-Roman antiquity.

This comprehensive drawing, created between 1577 and 1640, encapsulates the artist’s dual commitment to sacred narrative and classical authority. As a pivotal example of preparatory work by the Flemish master, the drawing is held in the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its detail and historical significance ensure its frequent use for research, and today, high-quality prints of this artwork are often made available through public domain initiatives, furthering the study of Rubens’s technique.