Marco D'Oggiono (died after 1524)
Head of the Virgin
A study for the Virgin and Child in the National Gallery, about 1500-1525
Black chalk on paper, pricked for transfer

This study of the head of the Virgin has been pricked with tiny holes so that charcoal can be pushed through to create a dot-to-dot image on another sheet of paper or canvas. Artists used a small muslin bag filled with charcoal to pat charcoal through the holes; this was called 'pouncing'. The charcoal dots on the new surface provided a guide which could then be worked up into a finished painting.
V&A Dyce 222

Visit the National Gallery's website to view 'The Virgin and Child', by Marco D' Oggiono