Classical Sculpture of a Woman with an Outstretched Arm
1775/80
Medium
black ink with gray wash over traces of graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 21.2 x 14.8 cm (8 3/8 x 5 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
1998.105.1.o
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, *Classical Sculpture of a Woman with an Outstretched Arm*, the hand of master Neoclassicist Jacques-Louis during his formative years around 1775–80. Created in black ink with gray wash over graphite traces on laid paper, it measures a modest 21.2 x 14.8 cm, showcasing David's meticulous preparatory technique. As a student in Rome he immersed himself in ancient Greco-Roman art, and this work reflects his close study of classical sculptures, honing the precise lines and dramatic poses that would define his later monumental history paintings like *The Oath of the Horatii*. ...
About the Artist
Jacques-Louis David · 1748–1825
Jacques-Louis David, born on August 30, 1748, in Paris, emerged as the preeminent French painter of Neoclassicism, a movement emphasizing austere lines, moral clarity, and classical antiquity as antidotes to Rococo frivolity. Orphaned young after his father's death in a duel, he was raised by prosperous architect uncles and educated at the Collège des Quatre-Nations. Defying family expectations, D...