Bearded Saint in a Forest

The Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria owns this drawing by Albrecht Durer from 1516.

The artist made use of black chalk, heightened with white for the main focal points of the piece. You will see this in many other drawings from his distinguished career. The contrast of light and dark would bring an extra depth dimension to this otherwise flattened medium. Durer was skilled in the depiction of plants and flowers and uses that again here, though for supporting elements of the background. Despite holding less significance than the main figure, the artist still puts great detail into them too.

The white heightening helps to accentuate the layers of the man’s clothing, again using Durer's mastery of drapery. It is extraordinary that any artist could take on so many differences compositional and stylistic challenges within their career and still deliver such a consistent oeuvre of work. The Albertina Musem holds one of the finest collections of Renaissance drawings in the world, covering both Italian and North European artists. For instance, you will also find a great selection of Pieter Bruegel drawings here too.