Study of a Man [verso]
1776 to 1800
![Study of a Man [verso] by Théodore Gericault](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/study-of-a-man-verso-nga-93057.webp)
Medium
black chalk with stumping on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 16.3 x 13.1 cm (6 7/16 x 5 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Accession Number
1995.47.42.b
Art Historical Context
Théodore Géricault a leading figure in French Romanticism, created this intimate *Study of a Man [verso]* using black chalk with stumping wove paper. Dating to between 1776 and 1800, this drawing (16.3 x 13.1 cm) captures the artist's mastery of the human form, likely as preparatory work for larger compositions. Géricault's drawings often explored dramatic anatomy and emotion, reflecting the Romantic emphasis on individualism and raw vitality, though this piece's verso suggests it was part of a versatile sheet used on both sides. The technique of stumping—blending chalk with a soft leather to...
About the Artist
Théodore Gericault · 1791–1824
Théodore Géricault, born Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault on September 26, 1791, in Rouen, France, into a prosperous family—his father a lawyer turned tobacco merchant and his mother from a line of growers—moved to Paris around 1797. Displaying early artistic promise, recognized by painter Jean-Louis Laneuville, he began formal training in 1808 under Carle Vernet, mastering English sporting art...