Studie voor een liggend Christuskind

About this artwork

Op ruiten gebracht in zwart krijt, zilverstift, op perkament

Art Historical Context

This delicate preparatory drawing by Lorenzo di Credi captures a tender study of the Christ Child in a reclining pose. Created between the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, the small-scale work on parchment reflects the Renaissance practice of making detailed sketches to plan larger compositions, likely for an altarpiece or devotional painting. The title itself reveals its purpose as a working study rather than a finished piece. The technique combines silverpoint for precise, luminous lines with black chalk, all transferred onto a grid of squares. This “squaring” method allowed artists to enlarge the design accurately onto a panel or canvas. Silverpoint, prized for its fine detail and inability to be erased, highlights the careful observation and skill required in Renaissance workshops. At just 119 by 185 millimeters, the drawing invites close viewing, revealing the intimate process behind sacred imagery that once guided worshippers’ devotion.