Studies of a Youth Pulling Ropes (recto); Faint Study of a Youth Pulling a Rope (verso)

Lomi employed contrasting chalk tones on a blue paper ground to suggest volume and shadow. The lines are loose and energetic, with visible reworkings and smudges, indicating spontaneous observation. The blue paper, common in Florentine studios, provided a mid-tone base that enhanced the luminosity of the white chalk and the depth of the black. The rough handling and edge marks suggest the sheet was handled frequently during the creative process.

The drawing has been in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington since its acquisition in the 20th century. Its provenance prior to that is undocumented, though its style and materials align with Florentine workshop practices of the early 1600s. It was likely kept among other studies in Lomi’s studio or passed to a pupil, remaining private until modern institutional collection.

In early 17th-century Tuscany, artists routinely produced figure studies to refine their understanding of anatomy and motion. Lomi, trained in the tradition of the Carracci and influenced by Caravaggio’s naturalism, used such sketches to prepare for larger compositions. This drawing exemplifies the shift from idealized Renaissance forms toward more dynamic, emotionally charged representations characteristic of the Baroque.

Though not a finished work, this drawing preserves the immediacy of Lomi’s observational process. It contributes to the broader understanding of how Baroque artists trained and developed their figures through direct study. Its survival offers insight into the private, iterative nature of artistic practice in Florence, where sketches served as vital links between thought and final execution.