Study Revealing Anatomy to Medicine and Art
1786
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1786
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This painting shows a busy scene with lots of figures. At the top, two winged beings—one older, one younger—float above a reclining man. Below, a woman in a green robe stands beside a seated man, while another woman in red holds cloth over him. Smaller figures, some with wings, gather around, and one holds a palette. The reclining man looks like he’s being studied, with others observing closely. The colors are soft but bright, and the lines are clean and precise. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.
