This fine drawing is a study of a lady’s hands resting in her lap, completed with a key attention to detail. Whilst the fabric creases and ruffles are still depicted with a high level of detail, the focus of the study is firmly on the lady’s hands. The red chalk hatching masterfully denotes the joints in the lady’s fingers, as well as the creases in the skin of her palm. The positioning of her hands implies a certain modesty, as the lady is subtly closing her body off. Whilst a naturalistic gesture, it must be noted that this study has allowed the artist to depict both an upturned and a downturned hand within the same composition. It is likely that this study was preparation for a larger portrait or genre scene.
