Reclining Female Nude 1600 - 1635

Domenico Tintoretto made this drawing of a reclining nude with chalk on paper. You can see the qualities of the chalk right away. It's soft and yielding, allowing for a range of light and dark with each stroke. The artist no doubt made many such drawings as studies for larger paintings. This was standard workshop practice at the time. Each one would have honed the artist’s eye, and trained his hand in the art of representing the human figure. But the drawing is also lovely in its own right. Tintoretto is not just thinking about human anatomy. He's also enjoying the effects he can achieve with his materials. The hatching, the smudges, the highlights on the paper itself. It all adds up to a dynamic image, full of life. It's important to remember that even a quick sketch like this one is the product of real labor, real skill, and careful attention to material. It deserves our consideration as much as any finished painting.