Design for an ornamental table fountain with jupiter. Pen and black ink over chalk on paper, 26. 5 × 12. 5 cm, kunstmuseum basel. Holbein's method of designing was to make a series of increasingly finished drawings. This free and vigorous drawing is an example of an early draft of an idea, with the proportions first established in chalk. Holbein designs one side of the ornament only, assuming the other to be symmetrical with it. He experiments with details of parts on the left of the sheet. At the top of the fountain, jupiter, with an eagle, hurls down a thunderbolt, while below him, figures dance round an altar. Winged caryatids support the base (foister, p. 86). Date: c. 1533–36.
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