Hand Studies [verso]

About this work

This sketch shows three hands drawn in quick, loose lines on blue paper. The hands are slightly overlapping, with fingers curled and thumbs resting. The artist used black chalk, adding white highlights to make the hands pop against the light background. The paper’s blue tint suggests this might be the back side of a drawing—artists sometimes used the reverse for practice. The hands look like they’re mid-motion, as if caught in a fleeting gesture. Next, look up Baroque to see how this sketch fits into that dramatic, lively art style.