Putti Carrying the Cross (recto); Studies of a Hand (verso) 1672 - 1675

This drawing of "Putti Carrying the Cross" was made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and is now at the Art Institute of Chicago. Bernini used black chalk on paper to sketch figures that appear to float and coalesce. The loose composition, dominated by diagonals, destabilizes our sense of spatial organization. The eye struggles to find a fixed point; instead, it’s drawn into a whirlwind of forms. We can see the artist testing the possibilities of form, the way the figures emerge from the shaded background. The crosses appear weightless, defying gravity and conventional representation, as if they are floating in a dream. Bernini’s handling of line and shadow creates a sense of movement. This sketch challenges fixed meanings, inviting a new understanding of space, perception, and representation.