Design for a ewer and a vase

Polidoro employs quick, barely perceptible strokes, allowing only the outlines of the objects and the holding figure to emerge. The faintness of the lines suggests a rapid, exploratory approach typical of Mannerist draftsmen. Minimal shading and an almost erased quality convey the provisional nature of the design, focusing attention on the basic geometry of the forms.

Created during Polidoro da Caravaggio’s mid‑career, the sketch entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection in the 20th century, though the exact acquisition path is not recorded in public sources. The work survives as one of the few documentary pieces linked to Polidoro, whose larger decorative frescoes in Rome have largely disappeared.

Polidoro, a former assistant to Raphael, earned a reputation in the early 16th century for elaborate façade decorations in Rome.

Polidoro, a former assistant to Raphael, earned a reputation in the early 16th century for elaborate façade decorations in Rome. By the 1550s, his practice had expanded to include designs for ornamental objects, reflecting the broader Mannerist interest in inventive forms and elaborate surface treatment. This drawing illustrates his engagement with applied arts alongside his more monumental mural work.