Hippolytus c. 1989

Abraham Bloemaert made this drawing of Hippolytus with red chalk sometime around the late 16th or early 17th century, and the marks are so loose, so raw, like he's really feeling the drama of the scene. Look at how Bloemaert builds up the forms with these swirling, almost frantic lines. There’s this incredible energy in the way the horses are rendered, their manes like flames, their bodies a tangle of motion. And then, there’s Hippolytus himself, sprawled out, almost lost in the chaos. The red chalk gives everything this warm, visceral quality. It’s not just a drawing; it’s an explosion of feeling, a glimpse into a moment of intense tragedy. It reminds me a bit of Rubens, who was doing similar baroque dramas around the same time, but with a bit more flesh and color. Bloemaert's rawness really gets under your skin. It's like he’s saying, “Here, feel this!”