Stehender Heiliger mit Buch und Palmzweig nach links 

Alessandro Casolani’s "Standing Saint with Book and Palm Branch, Facing Left," now at the Städel Museum, presents a study in understated grace, rendered in pencil and lightly washed with ink. The composition is dominated by the vertical figure of the saint, softened with fabric folds. The underlying grid structure, visible throughout, is intrinsic to the work, rather than an accidental or hidden guide. The saint’s stance, while stable, possesses a gentle contrapposto, echoed in the tilt of his head and the delicate arrangement of his garments. Casolani’s use of line is particularly striking. Notice how it varies in thickness and pressure, creating depth and texture in the fabric of the saint's robe, and it serves to define the subtle contours of his face. Ultimately, this drawing exemplifies the ongoing dialogue between structure and expression. The visible grid offers not constraint but a framework within which the artist explores the nuances of form and the subtleties of human expression.