Study of a Donkey in Profile to the Left, Grazing, ca. 1528
Red chalk
6 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. (16.9 x 19.3 cm)
The British Museum; bequeathed by William Fawkener, 1769
© The Trustees of the British Museum
Andrea analyzed the mechanics of the reins and harness as much as he did the anatomy of the grazing donkey in this drawing, which he used for the later two of three known versions of the Sacrifice of Isaac. A testament to Andrea's intense preparation for his paintings, it is the second design he produced for an animal that appears in the scene's background, partially blocked from view.