Three Studies for Spandrel Figures 17th century

This drawing presents three studies for spandrel figures, their forms rendered in ink. These figures, meant to occupy the architectural spaces between arches, carry a lineage stretching back to antiquity. Consider the motif of reclining figures, a staple in Roman art, often adorning sarcophagi and temples. These images were not mere decoration, they invoked ideas of power, divinity, and the cyclical nature of life. Later, we see them reborn in the Renaissance, adorning the vaults of churches and palazzi. Here, in these spandrel figures, the artist grapples with a historical and cultural memory, a collective, subconscious understanding of what these figures represent. The very act of depicting them is a dialogue with the past, a reinterpretation of age-old symbols. Observe the emotional weight conveyed through the figures' postures and gestures. There is a tension, a struggle, and a quiet contemplation. This non-linear, cyclical progression demonstrates how symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.