Rest on the Flight to Egypt 16th century

This drawing, "Rest on the Flight to Egypt," was created by an anonymous artist, using pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper. The inherent qualities of ink – its fluidity, the way it bleeds into paper, and the fineness of line it enables – directly influence the drawing’s expressive, tonal qualities. It appears as though the artist has swiftly rendered the image with a series of layered, calligraphic marks, using hatching to build up shadow and modeling. Wash was then applied to add depth and atmosphere. The ease and speed of execution suggest this was a preparatory study, rather than a finished artwork. But that doesn’t diminish its significance. Such drawings were often produced in workshops, where many hands might be involved in the making of a single artwork. The division of labor and skill needed to create such a work speaks to the collaborative nature of artistic production at this time, highlighting how the hand work of drawing could be a source of artistic and economic value. It reminds us to consider the social and economic contexts in which art is made, and the many hands involved.