Quoi donc, les vrais Chrétiens auraient tant de vertu
1651 to 1700
Medium
red chalk and graphite on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 27.8 x 19.2 cm (10 15/16 x 7 9/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1980.45.628
Art Historical Context
Hubert François Gravelot, prominent French rococo artist and illustrator active in the 18th, created *Quoi donc, les Chrétiens auraient tant de* ("What then, do true Christians possess such virtue?") during the late 17th to early 18th century (circa 1651–1700). This evocative drawing captures Gravelot's mastery of delicate line work, blending red chalk for warm tonal modeling with graphite for precise contours on laid paper—a favored medium for preparatory sketches among European draftsmen of the era. Measuring 27.8 x 19.2 cm, its intimate scale invites close contemplation, typical of studies ...
About the Artist
Hubert François Gravelot
Hubert-François Bourguignon, known as Gravelot (1699–1773), was a leading French Rococo engraver, illustrator, and designer whose elegant draftsmanship bridged the artistic worlds of France and England. Born in Paris to a tailor, he adopted his pseudonym from a godfather and grew up alongside his elder brother, the geographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville. After neglecting studies at the Col...