The Visitation 1600 - 1700

This drawing, "The Visitation," uses the traditional medium of red chalk on paper. We don't know who made it, but the artist clearly had academic training. Notice the way they used hatching, layering strokes of chalk to build up tone, and the attention to anatomical correctness. But why this medium? Chalk is relatively inexpensive and easily accessible, a good choice for preliminary studies. And that’s very much the feel of this work, a sketch exploring composition and the fall of light. It’s not a finished piece, but a record of the artist working through ideas. We can see how the artist used the physical properties of the chalk – its ability to create both soft, smudged lines and sharp, precise ones – to create a sense of depth and movement. Drawings like this offer us a glimpse into the workshop, reminding us that even the most seemingly effortless works of art are the product of labor, skill, and careful consideration of materials. And it’s a useful reminder that “anonymous” doesn’t mean “without skill.”