The Circumcision, 1640 by Rembrandt

Rembrandt prepared for his paintings with sketches and drawings in which he blocked in the main areas of light and shade, the massing and grouping of figures and indications of pose and gesture. It is in these drawings that the mastery of the dramatic possibilities of a subject can be seen. With great economy and sure line he indicates spatial relationships that reveal his developing ideas.

In The Circumcision, the focus on the child Christ is achieved both with the directional movements of groups of figures and with the tonal pattern of empty areas. It is a simple sketch, but it reveals Rembrandt's mastery of dramatic composition.