6 LORENZO LOTTO Italian, circa 1480­1556/57 Saint Martin Dividing His Cloak with a Beggar Brush and gray­brown wash, white and cream bodycolor, over black chalk on brown paper 31.4 x 21.7 cm (12 x 8 9/16 in.) Cat. I, no. 20; 83.GG.262 The fourth­century Christian saint Martin of Tours was a preacher and the founder of the first monasteries in France. He is usually dressed either as a Roman soldier or as a bishop and is well known for the charitable act he is here shown performing—cutting his cloak in two in order to share it with a naked beggar. In the drawing, the beggar covers his body with his half as Saint Martin gazes down at him, sword in hand, his own now­truncated part of the cloak billowing out protectively over the beggar's head. The steep perspective of the architectural background suggests that the composition perhaps was intended for a painted organ shutter to be seen high above the spectator. The lively movement of the figures, with the saint leaning steeply out of the space, is characteristic of Lotto's invention, while typical of the artist's humor is the knowing glint in the horse's eye, which a little disconcertingly captures the viewer's attention. The drawing is unique in the artist's graphic work in being signed; [Laur] entius Lotus appears on the reverse. 14 ITALIAN SCHOOL