Portrait of Jacques Delille
Medium
Brush and brown wash over graphite underdrawing.
Dimensions
6 11/16 x 4 1/2in. (17 x 11.5cm)
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
49.19.106
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate *Portrait of Jacques Delille French neoclassical artist Jean-Baptiste-François Bosio the likeness of the esteemed poet and Académie Française member (1738–1813) with remarkable sensitivity. Created using brush and brown wash over graphite underdrawing, this-scale drawing (6 11/16 x 4 1/2 in.) exemplifies Bosio's skill in portraiture, blending precise underdrawing with fluid washes to model form and evoke character. Likely produced during or shortly after Delille's lifetime, it reflects the era's fascination with literary figures, portraying him amid symbols of writing that high...