Artwork
Study for Harpocrates (Silentio Deum Cole)
Study for Harpocrates (Silentio Deum Cole) is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Giulio Bonasone. It dates from 1539 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Giulio Bonasone, an Italian artist active in the first half of the sixteenth century, produced this preparatory drawing in 1539. Executed with pen and brown ink enhanced by a wash, the work records an early stage of a larger composition that would later feature the figure of Harpocrates, the deity associated with silence.
Subject & Meaning
The study focuses on Harpocrates, a Greco‑Egyptian god traditionally identified with silence and secrecy. By isolating the figure in a sketch, Bonasone explored the iconography of the god—typically shown as a child with a finger to his lips—preparing the visual language for a more elaborate narrative treatment.
Technique & Style
Bonasone employed fine pen lines to define the contours of the figure, while a subtle brown wash adds tonal depth and suggests the modeling of flesh and drapery. The combination of line and wash reflects the artist’s training in the Northern Renaissance drawing tradition, emphasizing precision and a controlled handling of ink.
History & Provenance
Created during Bonasone’s productive period after his apprenticeship with Marcantonio Raimondi, the drawing likely served as a workshop reference for a subsequent painting or print. Its survival in a private collection indicates it was retained as a study rather than being disseminated through prints, offering insight into the artist’s preparatory process.
Context
Bonasone worked in several Italian artistic centers, including Mantua, Rome, and Venice, where he absorbed both Italian and Northern influences. This study exemplifies his engagement with classical and mythological subjects, a common theme among humanist artists who sought to revive antiquity’s symbolic vocabulary in the Renaissance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giulio Bonasone (c. 1498 – after 1574) (or Giulio de Antonio Buonasone or Julio Bonoso) was an Italian painter and engraver born in Bologna. He possibly studied painting under Lorenzo Sabbatini, and painted a Purgatory…
