Sketches of a Child: Half-Length, Torso, Foot, Hand 18th century

This red chalk drawing, "Sketches of a Child," resides in the Art Institute of Chicago and was made by an anonymous artist. Attribution is always a crucial question for the art historian, so the lack of a known name here tells us something. In the Renaissance, the practice of sketching was common for artists who were studying the human form. A drawing such as this may have been a preparatory sketch for a larger work. The institutional history of art education in Europe meant that aspiring artists often spent years copying the works of masters, or drawing from life. This sketch gives us a glimpse into that world of artistic training. We can imagine an artist diligently practicing their craft, perhaps under the watchful eye of a more established painter. Understanding the role of these anonymous sketches helps us understand the broader social conditions that shaped artistic production in its time.