Study for the Sine Baccho et Cerere Friget Venus (recto); Family of Darius before Alexander (verso) by Jacob Jordaens

Study for the Sine Baccho et Cerere Friget Venus (recto); Family of Darius before Alexander (verso) n.d.

drawing, print, paper, ink, inorganic-material, ink-drawings, chalk, pen, black-chalk

drawing

amateur sketch

toned paper

light pencil work

print

pencil sketch

incomplete sketchy

possibly oil pastel

paper

ink

inorganic-material

underpainting

ink-drawings

chalk

water

pen

watercolour illustration

fantasy sketch

black-chalk

watercolor

This drawing by Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens is a study for a larger painting, and features two different subjects: “Study for the Sine Baccho et Cerere Friget Venus” on the front (recto) and “Family of Darius before Alexander” on the back (verso). Jordaens uses a loose style with brown ink to depict a group of figures, including the Roman goddess Venus. The sketch is preparatory for a larger artwork that would have been painted in oil. The composition is loose and gestural, with a focus on capturing the figures in motion. The artist was well-known for his work in the Baroque style, using dramatic lighting and detailed figures.