Two Shepherds with a Flock of Sheep

Watermark: none.
This work, one of the many pastoral subjects by Castiglione, displays his highly distinctive and virtuosic drawing style. Using a reddish brown pigment mixed with linseed oil, the artist rapidly sketched the scene before reinforcing certain lines more carefully. He then set off the clouds in the sky brilliantly with patches of blue. Castiglione probably considered drawings such as this one as finished works in their own right despite their sketchy character, although whether he sold them or kept them for his own studio use is unknown. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"