Croquis de bras gauche et diverses esquisses de pieds 

Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz rendered this study of a left arm and various foot sketches in chalk, a medium that allows for both precision and expressive shading. The hand is a potent symbol of human agency and skill, its depiction a practice stretching back to antiquity. Consider the hand's symbolic weight in religious art, where the raised hand signifies blessing, or in secular portraits, where it denotes status and intellect. Here, the artist zeroes in on its form with an almost scientific scrutiny, echoing the Renaissance obsession with anatomical accuracy. The foot, similarly, is not just a support but a symbol of grounding and movement. The interplay of these forms—arm, hand, foot—carries echoes of classical statuary, of the fragmented relics of the human form, and of the Renaissance masters who sought to understand and replicate them. Such images resonate with deep-seated memories, evoking a sense of familiarity, of timelessness. This study transcends mere anatomy; it speaks to the enduring human impulse to understand ourselves, our bodies, and our place in the world.