Standing Figure and Figures Bending Over 1612 - 1675

Micco Spadaro, or Domenico Gargiulo, made this study of working figures with pen and brown ink in the 17th century. It’s a quick sketch, really, but look closely and you’ll notice the artist is very attentive to the figures’ postures. Spadaro focuses on the way their bodies change when they’re engaged in manual labor. You can see it in the tension of their backs and legs as they bend over to lift or carry. He draws our attention to their clothing, loose fitting garments rolled up at the sleeves. This is a nice contrast with the upright figure at center, who is smartly dressed in fitted clothes. Spadaro was a painter, and these figures probably would have been used as studies for a larger composition, perhaps one showing a genre scene with common people at work. This drawing reminds us that even in the most finished and polished artworks, there is often a foundation of observation and understanding of everyday realities. Spadaro finds aesthetic value and a kind of dignity in manual labor.