Lady in a Landscape (recto); Bust-Length Profile of an Old Woman (verso)
1630
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1630
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This sketch shows two quick drawings of women on the same paper. On the left, a woman stands holding a long, narrow object—maybe a fan or a scroll—wearing a simple dress with a belt. Her hair is pulled back, and she looks calm. On the right, an older woman’s face is drawn in profile, her head covered with a veil or cloth. The paper is old and yellowed, with handwritten Italian notes around the edges. The lines are light and sketchy, like a quick study rather than a finished work. If you like this style, look up chiaroscuro next—it’s the technique of strong light and dark contrasts.
