The Madonna and Child with Saints in a Landscape (Sacra Conversazione)
1505
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1505
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows two groups of people outdoors. On the left, a seated woman holds a child while a man stands with a tree branch. Another man kneels beside them, and a small child plays on the ground. On the right, a standing man with a child in his arms faces another man holding a long stick. The drawing is split down the middle—you can see where it was cut and reattached. The loose, sketchy lines suggest it might have been a quick study rather than a finished work. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with lines.
