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| Giovanni de' Vecchi Design for wall decoration with The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch ca. 1600 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Giovanni Ambrogio Figino Demon encircled by serpent after Michelangelo's Last Judgment before 1608 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
Above the City
You know our office on the 18th
floor of the Salmon Tower looks
right out on the
Empire State and it just happened
we were there finishing up some
late invoices on
a new book that Saturday morning
when a bomber roared through the
mist and crashed
flames poured from the windows
into the drifting clouds and sirens
screamed down in
the streets below it was unearthly
but you know the strangest thing
we realized that
none of us were much surprised be-
cause we'd always known that those
two paragons of
progress sooner or later would per-
form before our eyes this demon-
stration of their
true relationship.
– James Laughlin (1947)
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| Francesco Curia Studies of draped figures and horseman before 1608 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Francesco Curia Study for Annunciation before 1608 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Francesco Curia Study for Lamentation over the Dead Christ before 1608 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Bernardino Poccetti Study of seated male figure with pen and book before 1612 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ventura Salimbeni Study for the figure of Christ in a Deposition before 1613 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
Ode for the Burial of a Citizen
Recorder, tax-collector, landlord, friends,
This man is past his obligation.
Salesman, he is no market to be won:
The index of his power to pay descends
On graphs of strata, closes on a stone.
Like all of us he was a business risk,
Sustained a level after starting brisk,
Finally failed to displace his own depreciation.
He is marketable nowhere, auctioneer:
His liabilities zero, his assets zero.
His card has been removed from the credit bureau.
He is off the mailing list of the fiscal year.
His final real investment was to borrow
Courage from courage on the day's receipts
And so by petty cash and small deceits
To contrive one more contrivance for tomorrow.
His ballot is not collectable, public saints:
His politics are simplified and sound.
He has his ear forever to the ground
To hear the perfect congress of his silence.
Weep for him, learned men. I pass around
The hat of sentiment, drop him your tears,
For you are in the contract of his years:
All that he did not find, you have not found.
– John Ciardi (1946)
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| Cesare Nebbia Standing figure of warrior-king before 1614 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| attributed to Cherubino Alberti Allegorical figure of Religion before 1615 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Guercino Life study of seated model ca. 1618 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| circle of Guercino Bust-length study of a youth ca. 1619 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Guercino Youth kneeling before a prelate ca. 1620 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Guercino Youths in chariot with attendant young woman ca. 1621-23 drawing (study for Aurora ceiling, Casino Ludovisi, Rome) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Guercino Seated old man with upraised arm (Tithonus) ca. 1621-23 drawing on blue paper (study for Aurora ceiling, Casino Ludovisi, Rome) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |