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Saint Nicolas of Bari

Cesare Aretusi

1589

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Saint Nicolas of Bari is a 1589 ink by Cesare Aretusi, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Cesare Aretusi
When & what style?: 1589 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a bearded man in a tall bishop’s hat and flowing robes. He stands with one hand resting on a staff and the other holding a small book. His face is serious, and the lines of his clothes are carefully drawn to show folds and texture. The artist used thin, crisscrossed lines to build up shadows and light, giving the figure depth. This style was common in Renaissance drawings. Look up *cross-hatching* to see how artists use lines to create shading.