Holy Family with Saint John the Evangelist and the Infant John the Baptist n.d.

This drawing, Holy Family with Saint John the Evangelist and the Infant John the Baptist, was made by Bartolomeo Cesi with pen and brown ink, and stylus on paper. Look closely, and you’ll see that the grid is incised into the paper, presumably to transfer this composition to a larger surface – perhaps a fresco or a painting on canvas. This is a fascinating collision of different skilled traditions: draftsmanship, of course, but also the kind of gridded enlargement we associate with crafts like needlepoint or mosaic. The drawing’s soft, layered lines and subtle shadings gives us the impression of spontaneity and artistic flair. Yet the grid reveals a methodical, almost industrial approach to image production. It reminds us that even in the Renaissance, art-making was often a business, with workshops churning out devotional images on a commercial scale. Paying attention to materials, making, and context helps us understand the full meaning of this work, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.