Studies after the Laocoön, ca. 1528
Red chalk
11 1/8 x 8 9/16 in. (28.3 x 21.7 cm)
Galleria degli Uffizi, Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe, Florence
Courtesy the Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo
Inspired by the antique sculpture discovered in 1506 and widely known through copies and emulations, Andrea produced this sheet to prepare the figure of Isaac for the Sacrifice of Isaac, which survives in three versions today. These studies of a leg, big toe, and genitals of one of the Laocoön figures are rendered in fine, regular strokes. Here, chalk embraces the contours of the leg and brushes lightly against the paper to evoke the muscles of the torso, giving a sensuous quality to the flesh despite its source in marble.