Studies of Hands (recto); Sketch of a Child's Head (verso)
1586
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1586
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see two quick sketches on one sheet: one side shows hands twisted in different poses, the other a child’s face in a few loose lines. This wasn’t just doodling. In 16th-century Venice, big workshops kept stacks of these studies. Artists used them like cheat sheets—hands from one drawing, faces from another—so every altarpiece looked like it came from the same hand. Look up *sfumato* next to see how soft edges could make these sketches feel alive.
![Study of Two Putti and a Draped Arm [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/47f39e682d8c982d/thumb.webp)
