Composition Study with Three Figures Standing on a Rock
19th century
Medium
Pen and blue ink, over graphite, on tracing paper. Lined.
Dimensions
14 3/4 x 8 3/8 in. (37.4 x 21.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Carl L. Selden Gift, in memory of Carl L. Selden, 1983
Accession Number
1983.312
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate 19th-century drawing by Henri Lehmann captures a moment of artistic experimentation. Titled *Composition Study with Three Figures Standing on a Rock*, the work shows three human figures arranged atop a rocky outcrop, rendered in pen and blue ink over graphite on tracing paper. The medium’s translucent quality allowed the artist to trace and refine poses, making it an ideal surface for developing balanced groupings and spatial relationships before committing to a final painting or mural. As a preparatory study rather than a finished piece, the drawing offers insight into Lehmann’...
About the Artist
Henri Lehmann
French, Kiel 1814–1882 Paris