Virgin and Child with Saints (recto); Study of Arm (verso)
Medium
Pen and brown ink and brush and brown wash heightened with lead white (partially oxidixed) (recto), and black chalk (verso), on tan laid paper, squared in red chalk
Dimensions
25.2 × 29.2 cm (9 15/16 × 11 1/2 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
93622
Art Historical Context
This exquisite double-sided drawing by Bartolomeo Ramen the elder (known as Bagnacavallo dated around 1560–80, captures the Renaissance tradition of devotional art on its recto with a tender *Virgin and Child with Saints Rendered in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, with lead white (now partially oxidized for a subtle shimmer), the composition on tan laid paper exemplifies the meticulous preparatory sketches favored by Italian artists of the period. Squared in red chalk, it was likely a *modello*—a detailed study scaled up for a larger painting or fresco—highlighting the methodical ...