Provenance
Sold, Puttick & Simpson, London, Mar. 27, 1914, to William F. E. Gurley (1854–1943), Chicago [stamps (Lugt 5308), recto, lower right and verso, lower right on mount, in black]; given to the Art Institute of Chicago for the Leonora Hall Gurley Memorial Collection, 1922 [stamp (Lugt 1230b), verso, lower right on mount, in black].
Accession Number
95634
Medium
Red chalk counterproof, with traces of brown chalk, on cream laid paper
Dimensions
21 × 30.6 cm (8 5/16 × 12 1/16 in.)
Classification
chalk
Credit Line
The Leonora Hall Gurley Memorial Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
This red chalk counterproof of the Left Hand of Moses is a study after Michelangelo's sculpture. A counterproof is a print made by pressing a fresh drawing against another sheet to create a reversed copy. This technique was used to study and reproduce compositions. The drawing focuses on the powerful left hand of Michelangelo's Moses.
Cultural Impact
Counterproofs were an important technique for studying and reproducing drawings in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Why It Matters
This counterproof of the hand of Michelangelo's Moses demonstrates the study of the Renaissance master's work through reproductive techniques.
