The muscles of the lower arm: the left forearm is seen twice, crossed over and resting on the right forearm and extending from the shoulder. Drawing after Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1610.

Rubens, Peter Paul, 1577-1640.

Reference:: 28636i

Pictures

Selected images from this work

About this work

Description

There are two prints by Paul Pontius after Rubens's drawing of arms, one in reverse and one in the same direction (Muller 1993, nos 3a-3b). The Wellcome drawing, however, may be distinguished as a copy directly after Rubens's original drawing, sold at auction at Christie's London (6-7 July 1987, lot 66), rather than after a print by Pontius, because in addition to being in the same direction it closely follows the system of hatching of the original. Whereas in both examples of the Pontius prints the shaded background features a regularized cross-hatching, the Wellcome drawing matches Rubens's original in a cross-hatched shaded background that varies in direction. In addition, one also sees part of the back of the foreground body with crossed-arms. This may be a reflection of the appearance of the original before trimming, and a detail not recorded in the prints after it

Physical description

1 drawing : pen and brown ink, with some stylus marks ; image 30.2 x 24.9 cm

Contributors

Rubens, Peter Paul, 1577-1640.

Lettering

P. P. Rubens Lettering continues below image: 363 ; ce.8111. ; S-972568 ; 175; 250; and on verso: Pierre Paul Rubens ; de la collection du Marquis de Boilleul [i.e. Bailleul?]; 760; No 44; MSR anat 203

References note

London, Christie's, Old master drawings, 6-7 July 1987, lot 66

M. Jaffé, "Rubens's Anatomy Book," in London, Christie's, Old master drawings, 6-7 July 1987, pp. 58-61

J. Muller, "Rubens' Anatomy Book," in Antwerp, Rubenshuis: Rubens cantoor, een verzameling tekeningen ontstaan in Rubens' Atelier, exh cat., P. Huvenne and I. Kockelbergh, eds, 1993, pp. 78-107, nos 1-3b

J. Bolten, Method and practice. Dutch and Flemish drawing books 1600-1750, tr. A. Dietz, Stuttgart 1985, pp. 103-106; 114-116

J. Garff and E. de la Fuente Pedersen, Rubens cantoor. The drawings of Willem Panneels, 2 vols, Copenhagen, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, 1988, i, pp. 78-81, no. 82; ii, fig. 84

F. W. H. Hollstein, Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts ca. 1450-1700, vol. 17, Amsterdam 1976, p. 200, no. 157

Reference

Wellcome Collection 28636i

Reproduction note

This drawing is after one of eleven sheets of anatomical drawings by Peter Paul Rubens, property of the Newdegate settlement, that were sold at auction in London at Christies in 1987 (6-7 July, lot no. 66): the drawing of this subject was later bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Rogers Fund, 1996.75). These were previously known only through prints by Paulus Pontius published as a drawing book of twenty plates published by A. Voet c. 1640s and through free copies in Copenhagen by Rubens's student, Willem Paneels. Some of Paneels's copies are inscribed stating that they are after "Rubens's anatomy book". It is likely that Rubens kept a sketchbook of anatomical drawings from which the Christie's drawings derived. Rubens anatomical drawings are generally dated to around 1609-1610, after his return to Antwerp from Italy. Several of the drawings feature overlapping limbs or figures, a method of display seen in early drawing books that allowed for the maximum use of space in providing examples for artists to copy

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