A Standing Saint with a Crucifix and a Book

About this work

This sketch shows a robed figure holding a tall cross in one hand and a book in the other. The lines are loose and quick, with heavy shading that makes the fabric look textured. The face is blurred, almost like it’s a quick study rather than a finished portrait. The artist used lots of overlapping lines to build up shadows—this is called cross-hatching. It gives the drawing a scratchy, almost three-dimensional feel. Look up cross-hatching to see how this technique works in other drawings.