Orpheus Charming the Animals in a Landscape, Sinibaldo Scorza, 1621

pen and brown ink; framing line in brown ink, h 400mm × w 570mm More details

Biblical and mythological stories afforded artists the possibility of incorporating a host of animals in a single composition. In this drawing Sinibaldo Scorza depicted a scene from the story of Orpheus described by the ancient Roman poet Ovid. In it, Orpheus charms all living things with his wonderful singing and lyre playing. The artist filled the sheet from top to bottom with animals from all corners of the world – dromedary can even be spotted in the distance.