Who painted Cartouche (verso)?

Cartouche (verso) was painted by Lievin Cruyl in 1664.

Where can I see Cartouche (verso)?

Cartouche (verso) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Cartouche (verso)?

Cartouche (verso) is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Cartouche (verso)

Lievin Cruyl , 1664

Cartouche (verso) is a drawing by the Baroque artist Lievin Cruyl. It dates from 1664 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This drawing, executed by the Flemish draughtsman Lieven Cruij, forms the reverse side of a view of Rome’s Piazza Farnese.

About this work

Overview

This drawing, executed by the Flemish draughtsman Lieven Cruij, forms the reverse side of a view of Rome’s Piazza Farnese. The verso bears a decorative cartouche of foliage, fruit and scrollwork, rendered as a preparatory study for an engraving. The sheet illustrates the artist’s method of testing ink and line work before committing the design to a final print.

Subject & Meaning

The front of the sheet depicts the Piazza Farnese, highlighting the façade of the Palazzo Farnese. The building’s upper tier and pronounced cornice, completed by Michelangelo after Antonio da Sangallo’s death, dominate the composition, emphasizing the architectural grandeur of mid‑16th‑century Rome.

Technique & Style

Cruij employed a practice of drawing directly on the back of a printed view, using chiaroscuro to model the cartouche’s three‑dimensional effect. The delicate interplay of light and shadow creates the illusion of depth on the flat surface, while the ornamental motifs serve both aesthetic and functional purposes for the engraver.

History & Provenance

The drawing was produced for the Roman publisher Giovanni Battista de Rossi, who issued a series of ten of Cruij’s Roman vistas as etchings in 1666. The verso study demonstrates the preparatory stage of those prints, linking the artist’s hand to the published guidebooks that circulated among travelers and scholars of the period.

Context

During the mid‑17th century, detailed city views were in demand for guidebooks and souvenirs. Cruij’s work fits within this tradition, providing accurate yet artistically rendered representations of Rome’s landmarks, while the decorative cartouche reflects contemporary tastes for ornamental framing in printed material.