Virgin and Child (recto); Putti (verso) n.d.

This anonymous drawing, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child. The artist utilizes a delicate pen line to convey the figures, with subtle shading that highlights the contours of their bodies and the folds of Mary's drapery. The Virgin and Child, both wearing halos, are drawn in a simplified, almost geometric style, indicating a likely 15th or 16th century Italian origin. The drawing is a testament to the enduring power of the Madonna and Child motif in Renaissance art.