Studies of the Head of an Infant, ca. 1522
Red chalk
9 3/4 x 7 1/4 in. (24.8 x 18.4 cm)
Galleria degli Uffizi, Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe, Florence
Recto
Courtesy the Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo
This head study prepares the face of the Christ child at the center of The Madonna of the Steps and features a subsidiary drawing focused on his slightly more puckered lips. The child's smooth flesh and rosy, plump cheeks are achieved by stumping (rubbing with an instrument) and applying a wetted brush over chalk hatching.