Die sieben fetten Jahre - Karton für das Fresko in der Casa Bartholdy 1816

This is a full-scale preparatory drawing made by Philipp Veit, around the 1810s, using paper and charcoal. The drawing is called a 'cartoon,' from the Italian word 'cartone' meaning large paper. The appeal of paper is its relative cheapness, and here, it’s the very scale of this one that impresses. Charcoal, a material dating back to prehistory, allows the artist to work out the composition in advance, without the commitment of paint. Veit and his fellow Nazarenes sought to recover the monumental scale and serious subjects of Renaissance art, with careful preparatory labor. It’s a reminder that even a seemingly spontaneous painting starts with the work of transferring a design from paper to the wall, a process known as 'pouncing'. Looking closely, you may even see tiny perforations that follow the lines of the figures. It is through the knowledge of materials and processes that we gain a fuller appreciation of the artwork, challenging assumptions about the divide between fine art and craft.