Studies for Christ Carrying the Cross

Many of Veronese’s drawings are in pen and ink and were made to assist the artist in developing his compositions. This example is related to a painting of Christ carrying the Cross (now in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden). As well as several figure groups it records two ideas for the central scene of Christ and his tormentors within the rectangular format of the final painting. Figures and compositions almost merge into each other, conveying a sense of the excitement and speed with which the artist worked.