Studies of Horsemen and Study of a Figure for a Deposition (recto); Sketch for an Entablature (verso) 1548 - 1628

This drawing of horsemen and a figure for a deposition was made by Jacopo Palma the Younger, around the turn of the 17th century, using pen and brown ink on paper. What’s interesting about a drawing like this is that it shows us Palma’s creative process. The rapid, scratchy lines are him thinking aloud, trying out different poses and compositions. You can almost see him wrestling with the figures, adjusting their limbs and drapery. The immediacy of the drawing shows us how important it is to understand the material and the making in order to appreciate the final outcome of the artwork. It is only with this knowledge that we can truly understand the effort that went into it, and the labor that went into its production. Drawings like these show how art emerges through a process of trial, error, and refinement.