Kneeling Prelate Holding a Cushion

Art Historical Context

In the tranquil galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department *Kneeling Prelate a Cushion* by Alexandre Laemlein offers a glimpse into 19th-century French draughtsmanship. Created between 1830 and 1871, this intimate red chalk drawing (13 3/16 x 11 1/8 inches) captures a high-ranking church official—likely a bishop, as suggested by its tags—in a moment of devotion. Acquired through the Van Day Truex Fund 1991, it exemplifies the meticulous preparatory studies favored by artists of the era. Laemlein's use of red chalk, or sanguine, lends the work a warm, fleshy tonal...