Sacrifice of Iphigenia 

Gaspare Diziani rendered this study of the "Sacrifice of Iphigenia" with pen and brown ink, accented with brown wash. This was a quick method, but in its way, a deeply skilled one. It relies on the artist’s confident hand, able to suggest form and volume with a minimum of strokes. The sepia ink allowed him to rapidly build up tonal values, heightening the drama of the scene. Diziani was working in a tradition that stretched back centuries: using pen and ink not just for preparatory sketches, but as a final medium in its own right. It was not as prized as painting, of course, but drawings like these have always been valued by collectors and other artists – they get you close to the maker’s touch, and allow insight into the creative process. When we consider art in terms of material, process and social context, it changes the way we think about what we are seeing, and challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.