Study of a Child and Two Angels Holding Trumpets 1600 - 1700

This drawing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, rendered in pen and brown ink with brown wash, features an anonymous study of infants. At first glance, the interplay of light and shadow across the figures creates a soft, almost dreamlike effect. Note how the artist uses line to define the contours of the bodies, yet softens the forms with washes of brown ink. This use of light and shade gives volume to the figures, emphasizing their three-dimensionality on a flat plane. The composition is dynamic, with the two angels at the top contrasted with the single figure at the bottom. This organization invites us to consider the relationships between the figures: are they separate studies, or part of a larger narrative scene? The texture of the paper and the visible strokes of the pen remind us of the artist's hand, and the act of creation itself. What meanings do you find in these relationships of light and form?