Studies of Arms, Shoulders and Hands 1548 - 1628

Giacomo Franco made this drawing of arms, shoulders, and hands, around the turn of the 17th century, using pen, brown ink, and wash on laid paper. The material has a fineness of tooth that allows the pen to glide along its surface, capturing a range of light and shadow, which emphasizes the muscularity of the many forms. This wasn't just an artistic study; such drawings would have been crucial for workshops, to train apprentices in the proper ways of depicting the human body. The conventions of academic art required endless preparatory sketches from life and from plaster casts, to develop the hand, eye, and mind. Drawings like this were essential to large-scale artistic production. Without the division of labor that they represent, it would have been impossible to meet the demands of wealthy patrons for frescoes, altarpieces, and portraits. So, next time you look at a drawing, remember that it’s not just about individual expression. It's about the vital role of craft in the larger world of art.