Birth of Adonis n.d.

Giulio Romano made this drawing, Birth of Adonis, using pen and brown wash on paper. It’s a traditional medium for artists, allowing for detailed and expressive work. The brown wash is critical to the overall effect here. It’s applied in layers to create depth and volume, almost like a low-relief sculpture on paper. Look closely at the way Romano uses light and shadow to define the figures and the tree; this technique, called chiaroscuro, gives the scene a dramatic, three-dimensional quality. Pen and wash require a great deal of skill, demanding that the artist be precise with their lines and subtle with their shading. Romano was working at a time when drawing was seen as a fundamental skill for any artist, no matter what their specialty. The drawing is not just a preliminary sketch, but a work of art in its own right. This kind of drawing invites us to appreciate the artist’s technique and creative vision. It reminds us that the material and the making process are essential parts of the artwork's meaning.