Romanino (Brescia, about 1484 - after 1562)
Four People and a Performing Dog, 1527-1532
Red chalk on antique laid paper, 18.1 x 16.5 cm (7 1/8 x 6 1/2 in.)
This drawing of a group of people and a small dog is done with red chalk on paper. The artist has outlined four human figures, a dog, and one partial figure and filled them in lightly with thin, short marks forming scanty modeling and detail. The dog is in the lower center, in the lap of a girl seated on the floor. A boy is seated to her left and there is an adult woman just behind them with her hands on the children’s shoulders. A man playing a violin is the only standing figure. He is behind the girl and slightly to her right. His head is turned away from his violin as he looks down at the dog with his bow across the strings of the instrument. All four of the figures watch the dog stand on his hind legs as the girl strokes his back and the boy reaches for an extended paw. On the far right at the edge of the paper, the partial outline of another seated figure is visible.
Short Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.