Head of the Young Christ
1598
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1598
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This is a close-up of a young person’s face, drawn in black and white. The hair curls softly around the shoulders, and the eyes look down slightly. The background is plain, letting the face stand out clearly. The artist used shading to make the face look three-dimensional, especially around the cheeks and forehead. This was a common trick in Renaissance art to add depth. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this shading technique works.
