A Wolf and Two Doves

Using pen and brown ink, Sinibaldo Scorza created a powerful drawing by combining studies of two animals of strongly contrasting temperament--an uneasy, sinister-looking wolf and two doves roosting peacefully nearby. Forceful strokes of the pen delineate the rough texture of the wolf's shaggy coat, its alert stance, and panting expression. The thicker lines around its tail and belly suggest the softer furry tufts. Scorza probably drew the animals from life, closely observing their positions and expressions. Scorza drew at least four versions of this wolf, both with and without the doves. Both strong draftsmanship and a direct, unsentimental attitude distinguish this drawing. The clarity of the lines and simple, linear forms suggest that the drawing could easily have been engraved, but scholars have not discovered such an engraving. European courtly collectors of the 1600s commissioned many such pictures of animal subjects.