Hendrick Goltzius (Mühlbracht 1558-1617 Haarlem)

The loosely spontaneous handling of the chalk, and the brisk pentimenti, can be compared to the technique of the Sketch of the head of a woman wearing a plumed hat in the Fondation Custodia, Paris (Boon, op. cit.). That sheet, like the present drawing, should be regarded as an exploratory preparatory study, in which the artist sought to fix the positions of legs, arms and heads, reworking even as he drew and constantly seeking to establish the form. Boon suggests a date for the present work of around 1603.

Traditionally described as a Loving Couple, the drawing almost certainly treats a mythological subject. It may represent Mars and Venus or, given the fact that the male figure appears to be holding a tazza, it may show Bacchus and Ariadne. It has not yet been possible to relate the composition to any finished work by the artist.