Meeting of David and Abigail

Synthesizing several Genoese strains, from the imported Flemish to the native late Mannerist, Piola developed a style of considerable attractiveness, perfect regularity, and tremendous success in the production of altarpieces and grand-scale secular decorations. No less prolific as a draftsman, he is reported to have left 4,000 drawings to his family, and even today his fluidly drawn, smoothly modeled pen-and-wash studies seem ubiquitous. This is an unusually vigorous early study, with its rhythms more staccato, its illumination more intense, and its recollections of earlier Genoese pen-and-wash studies, of Cambiaso and Benso, more pronounced. The Collection counts another two drawings and four paintings by the artist.