Calvary n.d.

Pedro Machuca made this drawing, Calvary, sometime in the first half of the 16th century, with pen and brown ink, and brown wash, heightened with white, on blue laid paper. The artist built up the image using the qualities inherent in these humble materials. Notice how the blue paper dictates the overall tonality. The thin, scratchy lines of the pen create a sense of depth and movement. With the brown wash, he has created a wonderful contrast between light and shadow to convey the drama of the scene. And those highlights of white? They really bring the figures to life. Machuca likely trained in Italy and then worked in Spain as both a painter and architect. This drawing is a testament to the kind of skill that was required of artists at this time. They were expected to be masters of many media, not just painting, but also drawing, sculpture, and architecture. It serves as a reminder that there was no real separation between the so-called fine arts and crafts.