Drapery Study for the Virgin

Drapery Study for the Virgin
Artist	Leonardo da Vinci
Year	Between 1507 and 1517
Medium	Black chalk, brush, washed with blank ink, with white heightening, on white paper
Dimensions	23 cm × 24.5 cm (9.1 in × 9.6 in)
Location	Louvre, Paris
Accession	INV. 2257

The Drapery Study for the Virgin is a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre. Executed in charcoal, Indian ink, and gray wash, with highlights of ceruse white on yellowed, black-tinted paper, it is a preparatory study for the drapery of the Virgin Mary's cloak in Leonardo's painting The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne, also in the Louvre.

This drawing is believed to have been executed between 1507 and 1510, with some scholars suggesting a later date of 1516–1517. It belongs to a series of preparatory studies probably made between 1502 and 1503, when the painting was conceived. Two of these studies focus on specific parts of the drapery: the cloth on the figure's right thigh and the fall of the fabric on the figure's hip. While the pose in this drawing differs slightly from that in the final work, its characteristics resemble those of studio copies, leading some researchers to believe that they were life-sized prototypes for the painting in the Louvre.

The drawing's remarkable finesse is achieved through a combination of diverse materials and intricate techniques, demonstrating Leonardo's evolving mastery.