Time's Triple Bow [recto]
1806
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
![Time's Triple Bow [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/dc15bf51bd241980/full.webp)
1806
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch looks like a fast, loose drawing in pencil. You can just make out three figures tangled together—one standing, one kneeling, and another leaning in. Their lines are messy, almost like they’re moving or fighting, with lots of overlapping strokes. The artist didn’t smooth anything out; the marks look raw, as if they were drawn quickly. It’s not a finished picture but more like a rough idea. Next, look up the technique: sfumato to see how artists use soft blending.
![Studies for a Monument with Angels Reaching Down to a Praying Figure [recto and verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/9d789ab993a76a50/thumb.webp)
![The Belvedere Torso [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/3124534f87673a3a/thumb.webp)
