A Seated John the Baptist Preaching 17th century

This drawing of John the Baptist, made with pen and brown ink on paper, shows the radical preacher in mid-sermon, surrounded by an enraptured crowd. The artist employs a loose, flowing line, quickly establishing form and depth with a minimal economy of means. This kind of drawing was not made to be an end in itself. It would have been a study for a painting, print or sculpture. This means the artist was thinking with the material, using its inherent qualities – the quickness of the pen, the receptivity of the paper – to fix an idea rapidly. It’s important to remember the role of the studio in producing works like this. Assistants would often prepare the paper, grind pigments for the ink, and even execute parts of the design. So, even a seemingly simple drawing like this one reflects a complex division of labor, a small part of a larger economic engine.