Back View of Putto n.d.

This drawing of a putto was made with black and white chalk on brownish paper, likely by someone in the circle of Petr Brandl. You can see the artist’s handiwork in the blending of tones, and the control they have over the chalk as it moves across the page. Drawings like these were produced in studios. Apprentices would have spent hours, days, even years mastering the representation of the human form. They would learn by copying the master, or by drawing from life, as is perhaps the case here. The artist is making a bid for immortality, and the drawing itself is a record of hours spent mastering a skill. But of course, this is also a sensual image. The chalk is a soft material that builds up smoothly, like the child's flesh that it represents. The drawing is both an exercise in skill, and a celebration of the human body.