Head of a Child, an Angel and a Hand (recto); Male Figure (verso) (Verso)

Fra Bartolommeo used the chalk medium in all its soft expressiveness to create delicate modulations of light and shade. Through drawing he explored light effects, as well as the pose and attitude of his figures. His subtle effects of shadow and sfumato recall the works of his Florentine predecessor Leonardo da Vinci. These chalk studies are characteristic of the drawings Fra Bartolommeo made in preparation for painted works, though they have never been connected with a particular painting.