LONDON—Anyone who has played charades knows how hard it is to convey an idea without words. An artist’s challenge is to convey a moving narrative without words on a two-dimensional surface. Masters such as Italian Renaissance artist Raphael appeared to achieve this effortlessly. The foundation of these artists’ skills lies hidden behind the scenes in the mountain of drawings they made. These drawings are the DNA of great works, the building blocks of artistic mastery.
“Study for the Head of St. James,” circa 1502–3, by Raphael. Black chalk, with traces of pounced underdrawing; 10 3/4 inches by 8 1/2 inches. The British Museum, London. (The Trustees of The British Museum)
Stand in front of any of Raphael’s artworks and I dare you not to be moved. Raphael excelled in creating harmonious, often complex, compositions full of motion, gestures, and individual personalities. He honed his art to communicate abstract ideas such as philosophy, as seen in one of his greatest works: “The School of Athens” fresco in the Vatican’s Stanza della Segnatura. …