Madonna auf Wolken von Engeln getragen zwischen zwei Heiligen 

This is a pen and brown ink drawing of the Madonna carried on clouds by angels, flanked by two saints, made by Luca Cambiaso. The material itself, pen on paper, lends the artwork a certain immediacy. Cambiaso's quick strokes, barely lifting the pen from the page, are almost like threads weaving in and out. The sepia ink provides a rich contrast, making the figures emerge from the page, their forms accentuated by shadow. The rapid penmanship indicates that this artwork may have been a preparatory sketch for a larger project, as such drawings were crucial to the large-scale workshop production of paintings and frescoes in the 16th Century. But we can also see the aesthetic in the apparent ease with which the artist could move his hand, drawing on a tradition of virtuoso draftsmanship, reflecting the high skill and artistic labor of the Renaissance. Through Cambiaso’s materials and techniques, we appreciate not just the image, but also the means of production that made its creation possible. The process of creation is inseparable from the final artwork.