The Madonna and Child with Saints

Venetian 17th Century

1601

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Religious

About this work

This sketch shows a busy scene with lots of people drawn in quick, loose lines. A woman in a long dress sits on a raised platform, holding a baby. Around her, others kneel, stand, or lean in—some with hands raised, others holding objects. The drawing is all brown ink, with some areas filled in darker for shadows. The artist used fast, sketchy strokes to show movement and emotion. It looks like a rough draft, not a finished painting. Look up cross-hatching next to see how artists build shadows with lines.