Sketches of Six Classical Figures

Art Historical Context

Raymond de Lafage’s *Sketches of Six Classical Figures* offers a glimpse into the artist’s working process through its lively arrangement of six draped and posed figures. Rendered in pen and brown ink over faint graphite lines, the drawing captures the fluid movement and sculptural presence of forms that evoke ancient Greek or Roman ideals. The sheet’s generous size and careful mounting on a second layer of ivory paper suggest it was valued as a finished study rather than a quick preliminary note. The choice of medium is especially telling. Pen and ink allow for crisp, expressive contours and delicate hatching that convey volume and fabric texture with economy, while the underlying graphite reveals the artist’s initial explorations. Such drawings were common tools for artists in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, serving both as personal exercises and as models for later paintings or prints. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings department, this work invites viewers to appreciate the quiet beauty of line and the enduring appeal of classical themes in European draftsmanship.

About the Artist

Raymond de Lafage · 1656–1690

Raymond Lafage (1656–1684) was a French Baroque draughtsman, etcher, and engraver renowned for his dynamic mythological and religious compositions. Born in Lisle-sur-Tarn on October 1, 1656, he began as an autodidact before studying in the atelier of Jean Pierre Rivalz in Toulouse. This training grounded him in the French academic tradition while allowing his independent spirit to flourish. In 16...