Phryne before Her Judges
c. 1816–20
Medium
black chalk on wove paper discolored to beige
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.133,"width":0.196},"secondary support":{"height":0.187,"width":0.272}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift in memory of Helen Borowitz
Accession Number
2013.249
Tags
About this artwork
Known in his own time for large-scale paintings on historical subjects, Jacques-Louis David drew avidly to plan his compositions. Late in life, however, his use of drawing changed dramatically, resulting in works such as this pair. After falling out of political favor during the French Revolution (1789–99), David moved to Brussels in exile. There, he crafted small, enigmatic drawings of close-up figures. Phryne features a mythological courtesan charged with blasphemy, while The Prisoner is vague...