Assumption of Mary 

Luca Giordano made this red chalk drawing, Assumption of Mary, at an unknown date. The medium is critical to its effect. Unlike a pen or metalpoint, chalk is relatively soft and yielding. This allowed Giordano to create a velvety texture and varied line weight. Look closely, and you’ll notice areas of intense hatching, where the chalk lines are close-packed, versus other areas where they are more sparse. He would have made these effects by varying the pressure on the chalk and by using its edge or its tip. The very immediacy of the medium suggests the artist working out his composition, in preparation for a more finished work. In his time, drawings like this would have been considered a kind of ‘minor art,’ a means to an end. But for us today, the way the material bears witness to Giordano’s creative process is very exciting indeed. The drawing gives us a privileged glimpse into the mind of the artist.