Moses as a child trampling the Pharaoh’s crown underfoot 1652 - 1721

Bonaventura Lamberti created this expressive drawing, "Moses as a child trampling the Pharaoh’s crown underfoot", using pen and brown ink on paper. The material of choice allows us to consider the artist's process. Lamberti employs line work, the essence of drawing, to rapidly map out an idea and arrange figures across the scene. The use of brown ink creates a warm tone, and the thin pen lines convey a sense of spontaneity. It gives us an insight into the artist’s initial conception and the many iterations it could have taken. The level of precision speaks to Lamberti’s skilled training, and the work would have undoubtedly taken hours of dedicated mark-making to complete, especially for this accomplished artist. Yet it’s crucial to remember that this drawing is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. It shows that even within the realm of fine art, the labor of production plays a crucial role in the work's ultimate impact.