Studies of Hands, ca. 1527
Red chalk
4 13/16 x 6 7/16 in. (12.2 x 16.3 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art; bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, courtesy Art Resource, NY
This sheet exemplifies Andrea's powers of observation as he studies from life the hands of a model holding a book and an unidentified attribute. He meticulously captures the pull of skin over bone and the effects of light and shadow on the intricate forms of the human hand. The drawing has not been securely related to a known painting.