Infinite charm of a non finito

Preparatory studies and unfinished artworks turn into stand-alone pieces of art

Have you noticed that sometimes an unfinished drawing or preparatory study fragment for a larger piece feels way more close to your heart than a completed glossy painting in its final form?

Centuries ago these studies had little value to collectors and many of them were left abandoned in artists workshops after their deaths. Moreover, sometimes they were picked up by dodgy dealers and turned into finished artworks and sold for the prices of originals.

Times have changed and today the so-called non finito artworks became a standalone genre for art collecting.

There are two basic reasons for that transformation. One of them lies in the stylistic nature of such artwork. These unfinished compositions, minimalistic backgrounds, lots of empty space on canvas or paper make these pieces look rather contemporary to our own perception.

Woman head drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, early 16th century

Non finito effect kind of cuts the distance between the time the artwork was created and the day we are looking at it.

Apollo head study by Diego Velazquez from private collection (left); Portrait of artist’s wife by Edouard Manet from the MET (centre); Study of a screaming man, circle of Annibale Carracci, to be sold at Christies 5 July 2019

The other thing that places such artworks in the limelight of collectors interest is that they open that door to the workshop of an artist and unveil some precious part of artistic practice.

These studies, drawings and unfinished paintings show us a glimpse of that magic of an artwork creation process.

I was browsing internet catalogues of forthcoming auction sales and bumbed into an interesting piece at a high-level Old Master Day Sale at Christies (taking part 5 July 2019).

Abraham van Diepenbeeck, The scourging of Saint Paul (oil on panel, 8 ½ x 7 ¾ in.; 21.6 x 19.7 cm.)

This painting may seem strange in the eyes of art lover. Really, we do seldom see such pieces in the museums or books.

Indeed, this artwork was not created to be sold or displayed somewhere back then in the 17th century.

This was a preparatory study for a larger painting that Abraham van Diepenbeeck showed to the comissioner (the Dominican Church of St. Paul in Antwerp in this case) and that had later served as a basis for transmission of the drawing to a larger surface.

These vertical and horisontal lines form some kind of a net that artists would use in order to accurately plan complex compositions of a considerable scale.

The fact that we see such behind-the-scenes details in combination with these fast and vivid strokes that make this intimate piece feel so true and authentic enhances the value of this artwork way more than that could ever be assumed at the times it was created.

George Romney self-portrait, National Portrait Gellery (left); Salvator Mundi by Albrecht Dürer, MET (centre); Portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte by Jacques-Louis David, Louvre (right)

To sum it up, we admire and like to look at art that speaks to us. Old Masters and their oeuvres may often seem so far away in terms of time, values, motives and life realms. As if they haven’t ever really lived or existed.

And suddenly these unfinished and unpolished drawings and paintings reveal their real selves, show them as living humans and let us feel their real personalities. We see how they worked, how their masterpieces were created and start to feel being part of the process and their “partners in crime”.

Precious immersion experience, isn’t it?

My name is Marina Viatkina and I am an artist, researcher and art collector. Check out my other Art Collecting articles and Art History videos. Would be happy to discuss this article and address your art enquirues here or on my website marinaviatkina.com.