This is a drawing of an elderly figure with a long beard interacting with a younger figure holding a book. The illustration shows an exchange or imparting of knowledge. The figures are adorned in draped clothing. The style features minimalist lines and shading to capture expressions and forms efficiently.
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Sacrifice [recto]

Giuseppe Cades (Italian, 1750 - 1799)

Medium
pen and brown ink and brown wash on laid paper
Classification
Drawing
Dimensions
overall: 25.9 x 17.9 cm (10 3/16 x 7 1/16 in.)
Culture
Italian
Museum
National Gallery of Art, CG-E
Credit line
Gift of William B. O'Neal, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Rights
Public domain (NGA Open Access, CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Teens profiles and older: its subject is for older viewers (war, death, the Passion, drink or the like). How works are placed

View at the National Gallery of Art