Study of an Apostle

Bernardino Gatti probably used a live model for this study of a monumental figure of one of Christ's apostles. To model the heavy folds of fabric that envelop the body, he applied a combination of hatched and cross-hatched lines. He indicated both the lighting and the volume of the cloth simply by varying the length and curve of the same strokes of hatching, then added a heavy layer of white and deep gray wash to give further depth to the rich draperies.

Although the sheet is squared, which suggests that it was ready to be copied to another medium, several pentimenti still remain. Gatti drew the apostle's exposed foot in two positions, moving his toes to the right to create a more balanced stance. He also experimented with the location of the figure's arms, lifting the raised one higher and changing the angle of the right arm and shoulder.