1657
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Study of a Moor, Facing to the Left is a 1657 by Stefano Della Bella, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This sketch shows a person turned slightly away, their head tilted down. The hair is drawn in quick, loose strokes, almost like a cloud around their face. The paper has a warm, off-white tone, with faint marks and spots scattered across it. The artist focused on the shape of the hair and the curve of the neck, leaving the rest simple. This kind of sketch was often used to practice capturing expressions and forms. Next, look up *chiaroscuro* to see how light and shadow create depth in drawings.
Stefano della Bella (18 May 1610 – 12 July 1664) was an Italian draughtsman and printmaker known for etchings of a great variety of subjects, including military and court scenes, landscapes, and lively genre scenes.
See the richer artist page
![The Flight into Egypt [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/3a100db72e6d25e3/thumb.webp)
