Ottavio Leoni

Ottavio Leoni was praised by his contemporaries for drawing portraits “that seem in color and made of flesh.” In this depiction Leoni focused all his attention on the woman’s face-the voluminous ruff around her neck and her expensive garments are barely sketched in. Using his preferred technique of three chalks on toned paper, the artist drew the outlines, details, and shading in black. With white chalk he pulled out highlights, and with red chalk he added accents of color, lending a warm glow to the sitter’s complexion. Despite its economy of means, the drawing vividly records a face-to-face encounter between artist and subject.

Leoni worked in Rome and was known for both his portrait paintings and relief sculptures made from wax. Drawings such as here were executed fairly quickly from life, in this case focusing on facial features while leaving the costume unfinished. The original blue color of the paper has faded, so that one must imagine the effect of Leoni’s white highlights and subtle black shadows against a middle-tone background.