Two Figures of Angels Standing 1490 - 1505

Pietro Perugino made this drawing of two angels with pen and brown ink, and brown wash, heightened with white, on grayish brown prepared paper. The drawing’s appearance is defined by line and shading, giving form to the figures and their drapery. Look closely, and you’ll see how Perugino used a technique called hatching – closely spaced parallel lines – to build up shadows and model the shapes of the angels. The brown wash, a diluted ink, softens the contours and creates a sense of atmospheric depth. White heightening adds highlights, accentuating the play of light on the angels’ garments. This method of drawing reflects a time when the hand skills of the artist were esteemed, and the quality of materials directly reflected a patron’s wealth. The cost would have been significant. Unlike us today, with our pens and pencils, Perugino worked with tools requiring maintenance and refinement, in a studio system of labor. Recognizing the amount of labor, skill, and material expense that went into the production of such a drawing can help us appreciate the full complexity of this artwork, beyond its purely aesthetic qualities.