An Apostle from the Transfiguration 1511

Matthias Grünewald made this drawing of an apostle from the Transfiguration with pen and brown ink on paper. Look closely at the apostle's robes and the cloud around him, notice how Grünewald used hatching and cross-hatching to give volume and depth to the apostle’s form. The varying pressure of the pen creates lines of different thickness, lending a sense of weight and texture to the apostle's garments, and imbuing them with energy and dynamism. The medium of pen and ink allowed for the detailed expression of the artist, whose attention to line and shade, captures the emotional intensity of a divine encounter. In creating this drawing, Grünewald employed a traditional technique, yet brought to it a high level of technical skill. The drawing is a testament to the artist’s deep understanding of his materials, but also shows the value of craft and the power of drawing as a means of conveying not just form, but also deep emotion.