Saint Charles Borromeo Venerating the Relics c. 1604

Cesare Nebbia made this drawing of Saint Charles Borromeo in pen and brown ink with brown wash. The choice of material here is important. Rather than using a costly support like canvas, Nebbia opted for paper, a mass-produced material. The relatively quick and simple application of ink and wash suggests efficiency. Nebbia has skillfully created depth and volume, but without laboring over details. We could say the drawing echoes the very subject it depicts: Borromeo’s efforts to serve the poor, during a time of plague and famine. We can see echoes of this in the apparent humbleness of the work. It is not a polished oil painting, but an easily reproducible design. This allowed for the image to be spread far and wide. By looking closely at the making of this work, we can appreciate how even traditional fine art materials can be used in ways that serve broader social and political purposes.