The Grieving Virgin Contemplating Instruments of the Passion
1644
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1644
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This drawing shows a woman sitting on a rock by the water. She’s wrapped in a loose, flowing robe and a headscarf, her hands folded in her lap. Behind her, a small boat floats near the shore, and the sky is just a faint line above the scene. Her face looks calm but sad, with soft shadows under her eyes. The artist used dark lines and smudged chalk to create depth, making her robe and the rock look almost three-dimensional. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.
