The intimacy and immediacy of Renaissance drawing

The Royal Collection dips into its vast treasure trove of Italian art for a fabulous new exhibition

Giovanni Bellini, The head of an old man, c.1460–70 (Photo: Royal Collection Trust)

The artistic vitality of the Renaissance masters owes much to Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. Before the 1450s, paper was precious and drawing was a limited tool in medieval workshops. Then, as demand for book printing soared, so did the supply of paper for artists. …