The Nurturing of Jupiter n.d.

Salvator Rosa made this drawing, "The Nurturing of Jupiter," sometime in the 17th century with pen and brown ink over black chalk. It’s a simple enough combination of materials, but Rosa coaxes a complex tonal range from them. Note how the figures emerge from the paper through a labor-intensive process of hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling. Look closely and you can see the architecture of the image emerging stroke by stroke. This drawing is not about spontaneous gesture, but rather, the cumulative effect of countless controlled marks. The physical work Rosa invested in the piece aligns it with the kinds of labor normally associated with craft. While his contemporaries like Bernini were busy with marble and bronze, Rosa often used humbler materials. This was partly a matter of pragmatism. He favored portable media like paper because he moved frequently. But it also reflects his artistic persona. Rosa positioned himself outside the mainstream of the Roman art world, both in his art and in his embrace of less traditional media.