While we normally think of drawings as two-dimensional works of art, Fabio Gonçalves manages to fool the eye with his hyperrealistic style. The Brazil-based artist creates meticulous pencil drawings inspired by architecture, art history, and pop culture. His latest piece portrays the door of the Duomo di Milan in spectacular detail; a feat that took him over 350 hours to accomplish.
The image accurately replicates the original design made by Italian sculptor Ludovico Pogliaghi in 1906, which is centered around the theme of Joy and Sorrow of the Virgin Mary. While the actual door features numerous high-relief carvings, Gonçalves focused his drawing on a specific section, where Mary is holding Jesus and surrounded by angels. “I was inspired by the amount of history that each corner of this door carries, by the depth and refinement of the details and I wanted to reproduce this in my style,” Gonçalves tells My Modern Met. “I worked for more than 350 hours spread over 76 days. After all the support and messages I received from people interested in seeing more of my work in this style, I decided to focus on this style and I have a long list of ideas for the next reworks.”
Using a selection of drawing pencils, Gonçalves carefully rendered the sculptural qualities of Pogliaghi's original door. His masterful use of light and shadow mimics the real-life appearance of the high-relief carvings and makes it seem as though the illustration itself is three-dimensional, too. While it is hard to comprehend the innumerable decisions that went into finishing a drawing of this intricacy, some of the close-up photos give a better understanding of the level of work that was involved.
Follow Gonçalves on Instagram to keep up to date with his latest projects and purchase original drawings.
Brazilian artist Fabio Gonçalves creates hyperrealistic drawings of architecture.
His latest work captures the Dumo di Milano door.
Gonçalves spent over 350 hours rendering the building in meticulous detail.
Watch this video for insight into his creative process:
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