Bearded Man and Boy (from Bas-Relief)
n.d.
Medium
Charcoal on pale blue laid paper
Dimensions
27.3 × 19.6 cm (10 3/4 × 7 3/4 in.)
Classification
charcoal
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
83208
Art Historical Context
John Downman's *Bearded Man and Boyfrom Bas-Relief is a captivating charcoal drawing on pale blue laid paper, 27.3 × 19.6 cm. Created by the British artist (1750–1824), renowned for his delicate pastel portraits and intimate figure studies, this undated work captures a tender moment between a bearded man and a boy, likely inspired by classical low-relief sculpture. Downman, a contemporary of Joshua Reynolds, often drew from antique sources to hone his skills in capturing human emotion and form, blending Rococo elegance with emerging Romantic sensitivity. The use of charcoal on tinted laid pap...
About the Artist
John Downman · 1750–1824
John Downman (1750–1824) was born in Ruabon, near Wrexham, in North Wales. His artistic inclinations proved stronger than any legal ambitions his family held for him, and he began his formal training in Liverpool before enrolling in 1769 among the first intake of students at the newly established Royal Academy Schools in London. There he studied under Benjamin West. In 1773, Downman deepened his e...