St Anthony and the miracle of the irascible son 1683 - 1686

Luca Giordano created this drawing, St Anthony and the Miracle of the Irascible Son, with graphite on paper. Giordano employed a series of quick, light strokes to delineate the figures and composition, allowing for a sense of immediacy and spontaneity. Graphite is a relatively accessible medium, allowing for widespread artistic expression. Its directness contrasts with more laborious processes such as oil painting, with inherent qualities of the material influencing the artwork's appearance through the texture of the paper, the soft sheen of the graphite, and the fluidity of line. The relative ease and speed of graphite drawing aligns with the demand for art during this period, reflecting the rise of art markets and the increasing professionalization of artists, as well as the value placed on preparatory studies in the workshop. Consider how this relates to wider issues of labor, the artist's social positioning, and the dynamics of artistic production.