Magdalene Washing the Feet of Christ with Eight Disciples Looking On [recto] 

Donato Creti created this drawing, 'Magdalene Washing the Feet of Christ with Eight Disciples Looking On', with pen and brown ink on laid paper. The apparent ease with which the image is constructed belies the material control required to bring it into being. Creti would have carefully selected his quill, prepared his ink, and chosen his paper. Each of these materials offers a different degree of resistance, of flow, of absorption. A practiced hand is necessary to manage these variables. The drawing’s power lies in the artist’s skillful manipulation of line and tone. The brown ink allowed him to build up the figures and forms with subtle variations in density, creating a sense of depth and volume. The rapid marks convey a sense of immediacy. The translucency of the paper, combined with the delicate linework, allows light to permeate the image, giving it a luminous quality. Next time you look at a drawing, remember the labor, the implicit knowledge, and the many intelligent decisions that go into it.