Portrait of G.-L. Leclere, Comte de Buffon
Medium
Brush and brown wash with graphite underdrawing.
Dimensions
6 5/8 x 4 1/2in. (16.8 x 11.4cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.19.91
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate portrait drawing captures Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788), the renowned French naturalist and author of the monumental *Histoire Naturelle*, a cornerstone of Enlightenment science. Created by Jean-Baptiste-François Bosio (1764–1845), a leading neoclassical sculptor and draftsman, the undated work likely served as a preparatory study, reflecting Bosio's skill in rendering the sitter's dignified profile with graphite underdrawing for precise contours. Executed in brush and brown wash—a fluid technique popular among 18th- and 19th-century French artists for its t...