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A Boy Gazing Upward in Adoration

Bartolomeo Cesi

1594

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

A Boy Gazing Upward in Adoration is a 1594 chalk by Bartolomeo Cesi, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Bartolomeo Cesi
When & what style?: 1594 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a boy looking up, his head tilted back. His hair is drawn in quick, loose lines, and his face is simple but expressive. The background is a flat blue-gray paper, with the red chalk standing out against it. The artist used red chalk, then added white chalk to highlight parts of the drawing. This was a common way to make sketches pop before painting. Next, look up Renaissance to see how this style fits into that era.