Study of a Child with Arms Extended, ca. 1522
Red chalk
9 13/16 x 6 5/16 in. (25 x 16.1 cm)
Galleria degli Uffizi, Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe, Florence
Courtesy the Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo
Firm contours establish the pose of the infant Christ in The Madonna of the Steps. A second sketch concentrates on rendering a fuller, softer belly. The handwriting in ink bleeding through from the paper's other side — impossible to read because the sheet is laid down — underscores the function of these sheets as workshop material.