Study

The picture shows a study to the fresco of the Birth of Mary executed in the Cappella Tornabuoni of the Santa Maria Novella in Florence.

The only figure in the fresco who conveys any sense of movement is the servant pouring water into a brass basin for the child to bathe in. Ghirlandaio prepared for the painting by drawing this detailed individual study. The cloth fluttering behind her is lower in the fresco than here, in order not to obstruct our view of Anne. The sleeves were also altered at her elbows. The cross-hatching and the strong contours so typical of Ghirlandaio's style of drawing are clearly recognizable.