View of the Tiber; Copy of a Roman Sculpture of a Bacchante [verso] c. 1552 - 1566

This is Étienne Dupérac’s drawing, a double sided sheet with the "View of the Tiber" on one side and "Copy of a Roman Sculpture of a Bacchante" on the other. It was created with pen and brown ink, with a very subtle wash over black chalk. The composition is distinctly divided. Above, we see an airy, almost ethereal cityscape rendered with light, quick strokes. Below, the Bacchante is lying down, her form taking up most of the sheet. The figure is heavily shaded, giving her a sculptural, almost weighty presence in stark contrast with the scene above. Dupérac masterfully uses line and shading to suggest form, space and depth. The contrast between the light cityscape and the weighty figure encourages a semiotic reading. The Bacchante could represent the earthly, sensual realm, while the city evokes the intellectual and civilised. Dupérac's deliberate contrasting arrangement challenges viewers to consider how classical ideals are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.