Lot Essay
The present drawing is characteristic of the realistic side of Orsi's work. It is based on meticulous observation, as is evident in the rendering of the donkey, but it also displays the artist's interest in grotesque, almost caricature-like motifs, such as the old man sitting on a donkey drinking from a bottle. Such motifs, rare in Italian 16th Century art, reflect Orsi's appreciation of Northern art, which he knew through prints.
Orsi not only incorporated Northern motifs in his works, he also treated typically Northern subjects. This is documented by a group of drawings, employing in the same technique as the present one, representing peasants dancing in a landscape, Reggio Emilia, Teatro Valli, Lelio Orsi, exhib. cat., 1987, nos. 187-90, illustrated. Significantly, one of these sheets, now at the Uffizi, was formerly attributed to Maerten van Heemskerck, Reggio Emilia, op. cit., no. 187, illustrated.
The present drawing does not seem to be related to a known painting. It is possible however, possible that it was executed in the context of the preparation of a painting of a Flight into Egypt. A drawing of that subject in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, shows the same accuracy in the description of details, including the rendering of the fatigue of the donkeys, as well as the realistic expressions on the faces of the figures, Reggio Emilia, op. cit., no. 174, illustrated.
Orsi not only incorporated Northern motifs in his works, he also treated typically Northern subjects. This is documented by a group of drawings, employing in the same technique as the present one, representing peasants dancing in a landscape, Reggio Emilia, Teatro Valli, Lelio Orsi, exhib. cat., 1987, nos. 187-90, illustrated. Significantly, one of these sheets, now at the Uffizi, was formerly attributed to Maerten van Heemskerck, Reggio Emilia, op. cit., no. 187, illustrated.
The present drawing does not seem to be related to a known painting. It is possible however, possible that it was executed in the context of the preparation of a painting of a Flight into Egypt. A drawing of that subject in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, shows the same accuracy in the description of details, including the rendering of the fatigue of the donkeys, as well as the realistic expressions on the faces of the figures, Reggio Emilia, op. cit., no. 174, illustrated.