As soon as you begin to think in terms of perspective, you begin to think in pictorial space, and Menzel is a prime example of that. The extent to which he planned out the details, the space, and the setting is phenomenal. It’s fascinating to see he didn’t just do a contour line that’s very specific and then transfer it. He planned it out spatially before considering the light and shadow. Even better, we can see these partial ébauche sections and how he began to paint over his drawing. And more obviously, you can see so much more detail in the niche with the candlesticks, which is presumably what the rest of this painting would have looked like had he continued. Menzel’s sense of value is unbelievable. Even that man in the back, although it is a bunch of swatches of paint, it’s already getting this beautiful light effect on it. This drawing of a person’s head [on the left side of the... (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2131546-what-unfinished-masterpieces-say-to-living-artists/)