Study of Four Hands
1783. White chalk, Black chalk on green paper.Not on display
This is a preparatory drawing for four hands intended for three figures in the fresco The Prison Sentence of Saint Eulogius in the cloister of Toledo Cathedral, where a preparatory sketch is kept. In the Museo del Prado, there are other related drawings for the same fresco and sketch.
This is a study of four hands: two in profile and two with the index finger extended. On the left side of the drawing, one hand is depicted in profile and the other with the finger extended. These hands are intended for the figure of the saint himself. In the upper-right section of the drawing, there is another hand with a finger extended. This hand is intended for the figure seated in the foreground on the right. The last hand, in the lower-right section, can be seen in profile. It corresponds to the figure in the background on the right, who appears to be speaking and touching the arm of the figure he is pointing to.
Arnáez, Rocío, Catálogo de Dibujos II. Dibujos españoles siglo XVIII. A-B, Madrid, 1975, p.88
