Four Connoisseurs Seated at a Table 1771 - 1795

"Four Connoisseurs Seated at a Table" (1771-1795) is a brown wash drawing on paper by Italian artist Antonio Zucchi (1726-1796) in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The artwork depicts four figures, likely wealthy patrons, seated around a table. The figures are dressed in elegant 18th-century clothing and appear engaged in lively discussion. Zucchi's signature style of loose, gestural lines and a muted palette imbues the drawing with a sense of intimacy and immediacy. The composition of the work is characterized by the diagonal arrangement of figures, highlighting the central figure gesturing toward a book on the table. This dynamic composition and the subject matter of art collecting and discussion makes this drawing a captivating example of 18th-century Italian art.