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A contemporary of Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein, Altdorfer was a painter, architect, and draftsman. His drawing style is characterized by swift and dynamic strokes, with black ink juxtaposed with white gouache on prepared paper, as here. The figure and landscape emerge from the sheet with a shimmering, moonlit quality. The subject is a Landsknecht—a German mercenary foot soldier—a popular subject in sixteenth-century European art. Such soldiers are often portrayed in proud poses to emphasize their striking uniforms. Set in an undefined landscape, the figure on this sheet is seen from behind, bending forward as he carries a long pike and grips his sword. Exactly what he is doing is unclear, though the jagged end of his pike suggests active combat.

Depictions of reclining nymphs occur frequently in the work of Rubens, who traveled widely from his native Flanders and drew inspiration from Venetian artists such as Giorgione and Titian. Here, the Venus-like figure is depicted in three poses. At the bottom, she sleeps with her head on her right arm, while the upper studies show her caressed by a cupid and seductively gazing at the viewer. Rubens did not replicate the designs on this sheet in any known paintings, but they were likely used to develop ideas for a composition. The other side of the sheet features a drawing of angels lifting nude female figures to heaven in a Last Judgment scene. This combination of Christian themes and sensual nudes showcases Rubens’s versatility as a draftsman and his exploration of diverse subjects. Notably small for a Rubens study, this drawing is the lower half of a sheet originally twice its size. It was likely cut to increase its marketability to later collectors. Its complement is preserved at the Courtauld Gallery in London.

This study by one of the preeminent portraitists in eighteenth-century England has been linked to Gainsborough’s first monumental full-length portrait of a woman, the musician and singer Ann Ford, painted early in the artist’s Bath period. Gainsborough occasionally produced drawings in preparation for his portraits, and surviving sheets suggest that he made several studies for Ann Ford, Later Mrs. Phillip Thicknesse (1760), now at the Cincinnati Art Museum. These reflect the effort he made to achieve a satisfying figural composition. Similarities between this sheet and the final portrait include the pattern of light and shade across the skirt, the placement of the figure’s legs, and the style of her shoes, which are repeated almost exactly in the painting. Here, the artist places the subject outdoors and appears to work out an initial idea for her pose and dress. The sheet may have been executed from life or perhaps from a mannequin in Gainsborough’s studio, which he was known to use in the early years of his career.

Goya’s works on paper poignantly document the brutalities of war and the social turmoil that plagued Spain, often depicting members of the working class. For this drawing, Goya repurposed a bill dated July 1 of the year 1799, legible at the top of the sheet. To disguise the area of text, Goya uses a dark brown wash that places the fishermen beneath an overhanging shadow, reminiscent of a stormy sky or the interior of a cave. Drawing on used paper was unusual for Goya. The blank reverse of this sheet has led to the suggestion that the artist was inspired by an existing blemish on the paper, which prompted the scene from his imagination. Lending theatricality and drama to an everyday activity, the figures stand in sharp contrast to their light-filled background, a common motif in Goya’s drawings.

Best known for his depictions of modern Parisian life, Degas produced hundreds of sketches during his travels to Italy between 1856 and 1858. This study of a striding nude figure is likely one of them. Making art after works of classical antiquity and the Renaissance was central to Degas’s artistic training. In this, he was inspired by Ingres who encouraged the practice. Ingres’s influence is also evident in the hard, graphic lines that define this limber figure, who lunges gracefully while gripping a sword. The subject remains uncertain, although the legs and feet resemble the ancient statues of Castor and Pollux from the Fontana dei Dioscuri in the Piazza del Quirinale in Rome. At upper left, Degas repeats the left thigh and labels its muscles. Although the decentered composition suggests its possible cropping from a larger sheet, the size is consistent with many of Degas’s drawings from this period. This study does not appear to relate to any paintings, though the interest in the movement of the body infuses much of Degas’s later output.