The right leg of a small child 1520 - 1525

Hans Baldung made this drawing, "The right leg of a small child", sometime in the early 16th century using pen and brown ink on paper. Given the simplicity of the materials, one might easily overlook the skill involved. But consider: Baldung has captured the soft, vulnerable flesh of a child with the bare minimum of means. This was no doubt a study, a preparation for a larger work – and that is why it has survived. It was valued, even at the time, as evidence of artistic labor. That gets to an important point. Then as now, skill is hard to come by, and those who possess it tend to be valued. The ability to capture form with just a few lines is hard-won through practice and dedication. This drawing then, however modest, speaks to the value we place on expertise, then and now.