Parmigianino (1503–40)
Woman Seated on the Ground
c. 1523–24
Black chalk and white gouache on light brown tinted paper
Samuel Courtauld Trust: Princes Gate Bequest, 1978
Parmigianino seems to have made this drawing of a female figure as an experiment in technique and expressive form. Rather than using white solely for highlights, he applied it extensively to the woman's face, hands, and drapery to create volume as well as detail. The contrast between white gouache and black chalk produces a subtle effect of light and dark appropriate to the figure's meditative pose and expression.