Title of the work: Three Old Men by Parmigianino
(Francesco Maria Mazzola)
It was completed about 1935.
The most influential master of Italian Mannerism,
Parmigianino developed a personal style that was widely imitated throughout
Europe in the following generations. He was a remarkable draftsman, and
hundreds of his drawings survive. Some relate specifically to his paintings and
prints, while many others reflect the activity of a compulsive, continually
inspired artist. This seemingly quick and unplanned sketch represents three
emaciated old men, perhaps ascetic monks or philosophers, who resemble the
mysterious sage standing in the background
of Parmigianino's famous painting The
Madonna of the Long Neck (now
in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence). It is assumed that the drawing dates from
the same period, when the master worked in Parma around 1535. The craggy bodies
and scowling expressions of these old men in their tattered garments imply a
disregard for the outside world. Their wizened faces and contemplative
expressions suggest the wisdom of age and experience. Although the poses seem
doddering, there is an elegance in the figures' artificially attenuated,
gnarled limbs.
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