Standing Dominican or Servite Holding a Book and Staff (recto); Study of two warriors (verso) 1548 - 1612

Bernardino Poccetti made this drawing of a Dominican or Servite friar with red chalk on paper. Chalk is a relatively direct medium, allowing for quick and expressive marks. Look closely at the marks on the page. Poccetti built up tone through hatching, layering the strokes to create depth and volume in the figure's robes. See how the texture of the chalk catches on the paper, creating a soft, almost granular effect. Drawings like this were vital to the workshop system. They were not necessarily considered finished artworks in their own right, but rather studies made in preparation for larger paintings or frescoes. They were a means to explore composition, anatomy, and drapery, and to train assistants in the studio. The economy of the studio depended on such drawings, each one a site of intense labor and a blueprint for larger productions. Considering the labor and social context of the drawing brings us closer to the artist's practice and highlights the economic realities of art production in Poccetti's time.