Bust of a Man in Profile to the Left
Medium
Graphite on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
14.8 × 12.4 cm (5 7/8 × 4 15/16 in.)
Classification
graphite
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
74197
Art Historical Context
Created in 1767, “Bust of a Man in Profile to the” showcases the refined draftsmanship of Charles-Nicolas Cochin the Younger. Working on a delicate sheet of ivory paper, Cochin used graphite to capture a crisply delineated silhouette. At just 14.8 by 12.4 centimeters, the drawing invites intimate viewing, its modest scale typical of eighteenth-century portrait studies meant for private albums or as preparatory designs for engravings. The profile format itself carries classical resonance, echoing ancient cameos and coins that Enlightenment artists admired. Graphite’s precise, silvery line allo...