effective use of atmospheric perspective is the result in large part of
his mastery of the relatively new medium of oil painting, which had
previously been used mostly by Northern European painters (see
“Tempera and Oil Painting,” Chapter 20, page 523). The figures pray,
point, and bless, and these acts and gestures, although their meanings
are not certain, visually unite the individuals portrayed. The angel
points to the infant John and, through his outward glance, involves
the viewer in the tableau. John prays to the Christ Child, who blesses
him in return. The Virgin herself completes the series of interlocking
gestures, her left hand reaching toward the Christ Child and her right
hand resting protectively on John’s shoulder. The melting mood of
tenderness, which the caressing light enhances, suffuses the entire
composition. By creating an emotionally compelling, visually uni-
fied, and spatially convincing image, Leonardo succeeded in express-
ing “the intention of his soul.”High and Late Renaissance 581I
n the 16th century in Italy, drawing (or disegno) assumed a posi-
tion of greater prominence than ever before in artistic production.
Until the late 15th century, the expense of drawing surfaces and their
lack of availability limited the production of preparatory sketches.
Most artists drew on parchment(prepared from the skins of calves,
sheep, and goats) or on vellum(made from the skins of young ani-
mals and therefore very expensive). Because of the cost of these mate-
rials, drawings in the 14th and 15th centuries tended to be extremely
detailed and meticulously executed. Artists often drew using silver-
point (a stylusmade of silver) because of the fine line it produced and
the sharp point it maintained. The introduction in the late 15th cen-
tury of less expensive paper made of fibrous pulp produced for the
developing printing industry (see “Woodcuts, Engravings, and Etch-
ings,” Chapter 20, page 537) allowed artists to experiment more and
to draw with greater freedom. As a result, sketches abounded. Artists
executed these drawings in pen and ink (FIG. 22-6), chalk, charcoal
(FIG. 22-3), brush, and graphite or lead.
The importance of drawing transcended the mechanical or
technical possibilities it afforded artists, however. The term disegno
referred also to design, an integral component of good art. Design
was the foundation of art, and drawing was the fundamental ele-
ment of design. The painter Federico Zuccaro (1542–1609) summed
up this philosophy when he stated that drawing is the external phys-
ical manifestation (disegno esterno) of an internal intellectual idea or
design (disegno interno).
The design dimension of art production became increasingly im-
portant as artists cultivated their own styles. The early stages of artistic
training largely focused on imitation and emulation (see “Cennino
Cennini on Imitation and Emulation,” Chapter 21, page 553), but to
achieve widespread recognition, artists had to develop their own
styles. Although the artistic community and public at large acknowl-
edged technical skill, the conceptualization of the artwork—its theo-
retical and formal development—was paramount. Disegno—or de-
sign in this case—represented an artist’s conception and intention. In
the literature of the period, the terms writers and critics often invoked
to praise esteemed artists included invenzione (invention),ingegno
(innate talent),fantasia(imagination), and capriccio (originality).
Renaissance Drawings
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES1 ft.22-3Leonardo da Vinci,cartoon for Madonna and Child with Saint
Anne and the Infant Saint John,ca. 1505–1507. Charcoal heightened
with white on brown paper, 4 6 3 3 . National Gallery, London.
The introduction of less expensive paper in the late 15th century allowed
artists to draw more frequently. In this cartoon, Leonardo depicted mon-
umental figures in a scene of tranquil grandeur and balance.MADONNA AND CHILDCARTOONLeonardo’s style fully
emerges in Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint
John (FIG. 22-3), a preliminary drawing for a painting (see “Renais-
sance Drawings,” above) he made in 1505 or shortly thereafter. Here,
the glowing light falls gently on the majestic forms in a scene of tran-
quil grandeur and balance. Leonardo ordered every part of his car-
toon with an intellectual pictorial logic that results in an appealing
visual unity. The figures are robust and monumental, the stately
grace of their movements reminiscent of the Greek statues of god-
desses (FIG. 5-49) in the pediments of the Parthenon. Leonardo’s in-
fusion of the principles of classical art into his designs, however, can-
not be attributed to specific knowledge of Greek monuments. He
and his contemporaries never visited Greece. Their acquaintance
with classical art extended only to Etruscan and Roman monuments
and Roman copies of Greek statues in Italy.22-3ALEONARDO,
Vitruvian Man,
ca. 1485–1490.