A Drapery Study for the Knees of a Seated Allegorical Figure of Charity (recto); Bust of a Naked Allegorical Figure of Charity with Two Putti (verso) 1520 - 1530

This red chalk drawing by Florentine artist Giovanni Antonio Sogliani, dated to the 1520s, shows a study for a larger composition. The work, which depicts a draped leg, likely served as preparatory work for the artist's painting, *A Seated Allegorical Figure of Charity*, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The artist’s careful rendering of the folds and shadows of the fabric exemplifies the high standard of draftsmanship during the High Renaissance. This drawing, along with its counterpart in the Art Institute of Chicago's collection, is an excellent example of an artist's process during this period.