Who painted Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel?

Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel was painted by Pompeo Batoni in 1748.

Where can I see Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel?

Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel?

Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel

Pompeo Batoni , 1748

Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Pompeo Batoni. It dates from 1748 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Two Nude Children Lifting a Cudgel is a drawing executed in red chalk, heightened with white chalk on paper that has been washed with ochre. The composition shows two unclothed youths engaged in the act of raising a cudgel, a subject rendered with a modest degree of detail.

Technique & Style

The artist employed a combination of red chalk for the primary drawing and white chalk for highlights, creating a subtle tonal contrast. The paper surface was pretreated with an ochre wash, and portions of the work were partially squared off to facilitate transfer of the red chalk design.

Context

The work is attributed to the Italian painter Pompeo Batoni and is dated to around 1748, placing it in the mid‑18th‑century period of his career.