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Home | Exhibitions | Barocci: A lesson in drawing | Barocci Drawings: Types of drawingsThe practice of life drawing in Italian art was established in the Early Renaissance and became a fundamental part of an artist’s education. By studying a nude model, painters trained themselves to accurately reproduce the human figure and its movements, as much as to translate their ideas into a convincing narrative. This is why, even if they wished to paint a fully dressed figure, they first made studies from nude models. These models were invariably male figures as female nude sketching was not allowed. Barocci probably spent more time on life drawing than any artist of his generation. Not only did he ask his assistants to pose for him, but he also made sure that they were comfortable, in order to create a composition that looked as natural as possible.