Villa Medici

About this work

This sketch shows a rough, quick drawing of a building with arched windows and a balcony. The lines are light and shaky, like the artist was working fast. Some parts are barely there—just faint strokes—while others have a little more detail, like the steps leading up to the entrance. The paper looks old and worn, with some brown spots where the graphite has rubbed off. This kind of sketch was probably made to plan a bigger painting or just to practice drawing architecture. Next, check out the technique: chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create depth in drawings.