Bare Tree [verso]
1401 to 1500
![Bare Tree [verso] by Fra Bartolommeo](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/bare-tree-verso-nga-45990.webp)
Medium
pen and brown ink on laid paper
Dimensions
Overall: 28.7 x 21.7 cm (11 5/16 x 8 9/16 in.) support: 41.1 x 27.9 cm (16 3/16 x 11 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1959.16.3.b
Art Historical Context
"Bare Tree [verso]" by Fra Bartolommeo offers a quiet window into Renaissance draftsmanship from the 15th century. Created with pen and brown ink on laid paper, the drawing measures 28.7 by 21.7 centimeters and occupies the reverse side of a sheet. In this period, such works frequently served as private studies, allowing artists to explore forms, textures, and compositions with quick, fluid strokes. The stark subject of a bare tree highlights the era’s growing interest in direct observation of the natural world. Using the precise yet expressive qualities of pen and ink, Fra Bartolommeo captur...