Sandalenstudie zu ‘Rüdiger und Angelika’ 1842

This study of a sandal-clad foot was made by Johann Peter Krafft using graphite on paper. These are modest materials, especially when compared to the large-scale oil paintings for which Krafft is best known. Yet the drawing’s very humility gives it an interesting character. Look closely, and you’ll see the marks of the graphite pencil, built up layer by layer to model the foot. The use of hatching emphasizes the foot’s weight, and the way that it presses down into the simple sole of the sandal. The sandal itself, secured by delicate ties, seems almost incidental – a prop provided to allow the artist to fully explore the subject’s anatomy. This contrasts with the final painting it was preparatory for, where the depiction of costumes and settings would have been crucial to the overall effect. Ultimately, this drawing reminds us that even the grandest artistic visions are built through careful, incremental work. By taking a closer look at the materials and the making, we can appreciate the labor that goes into even the most apparently effortless images.