Standing Female Saint or Nun and an Angel (after Andrea del Sarto's -Annunciation to Zaccharias-) 16th-17th century

Bernardino Poccetti created this drawing, "Standing Female Saint or Nun and an Angel," with pen and ink, sometime between 1548 and 1612. The composition is vertically oriented, dominated by a draped figure on the left, with a smaller, more animated angel on the right. Poccetti’s use of line and shadow creates a sense of depth, even though the figures appear somewhat flattened. The drawing invites us to explore how meaning is constructed through form. The heavy drapery enveloping the saint contrasts with the more delicate lines defining the angel, perhaps symbolizing their differing spiritual states. The hatching and cross-hatching create tonal variations that model the forms and suggest a light source from the upper left, adding volume to the figures. Consider how Poccetti's strategic use of line and shadow invites a reading of the drawing not just as a depiction of a saint and angel but as a study in contrasts—weight versus lightness, stillness versus movement—engaging with the broader artistic concerns of his time.