Stehender Mann auf einem Schemel in Rückenansicht 

Alessandro Casolani made this drawing of a standing man on a stool out of chalk sometime around the late 16th century. Here, the artist is using chalk, an unassuming material, to capture a sense of the figure’s three-dimensionality. The laid lines of the paper support the chalk, giving it ‘tooth,’ while the varied pressure of Casolani’s hand allows him to create an impressive tonal range. The velvety texture of the chalk adds a tactile quality to the drawing. It is soft and forgiving, allowing for easy blending and subtle gradations of light and shadow, while lending itself to quick, gestural marks. Interestingly, this drawing, like many others, would have been created as a preparatory work. It's a study made in anticipation of a painting or sculpture, but here it stands alone, quietly reminding us of the labor and process that lies beneath the surface of so many works of art.