Schets van Sint Nicolaas en van een wanhopige zeeman 17th century

Jacques Courtois created this sketch of Saint Nicholas and a desperate sailor using pen and brown ink on paper. The lines are quickly and freely drawn, giving the figures a sense of movement and emotion. Courtois clearly wanted to capture the essence of the story, not the details. The light paper shows every stroke, revealing the artist's hand at work and the immediacy of the creative process. Pen and ink are relatively inexpensive and highly portable, making them ideal for preparatory drawings like this one. Drawings like this were essential in an artist's practice; they were used to explore ideas, work out compositions, and study figures before committing to a final painting. It offers a glimpse into the artist's studio, and reminds us that even the most polished works of art often began with humble materials and a lot of hard labor. It also bridges the gap between craft and fine art, by demonstrating the importance of technical skill in the creation of even the most seemingly effortless images.