Study of Venus at Rest
ca. 1602
Annibale Carracci, a pioneer of the Baroque style, captures a moment of serene repose in this lively study of Venus. Notice how the goddess stretches languidly, her body rendered with soft, flowing lines that contrast with the energetic, scratchy sketches surrounding her—including a sleeping cherub nestled by her side and a rougher figure study in the top left corner. These kinds of preparatory drawings were Carracci's playground, where he experimented with poses and compositions before committing to his grand, mythological masterpieces that helped define 17th-century art.
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