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Home | Exhibitions | Barocci: A lesson in drawing | Barocci Drawings: Types of drawings

Barocci Drawings: Drapery studies

A crucial step in the rendering of human forms in paintings was the depiction of drapery, through which an artist could convincingly represent the fall of light and movement in a composition. Many Italian artists, including Barocci, drew from dressed life models and created three-dimensional sketches in preparation for their paintings. Bellori writes that after having made his finished drawing, Barocci made one or more models for the figures in clay or wax which were so beautiful that they appeared to be the work of a great sculptor. Unfortunately, none of these sculptures survive today. This practice developed out of a Renaissance artist’s training spent making drawings from plaster casts, reliefs or antique sculptures.