Classical Sculpture of a Pensive Woman

1775/80

Jacques-Louis David

Associated Names
Jacques-Louis David

Artist, French, 1748 - 1825

The image depicts a full-body sketch of a person seated on a structure that resembles a low pedestal or a stone bench. The individual is in a seated pose with their body oriented sideways but with the face slightly turned towards the viewer, one hand resting on the chin. The facial features are not distinctly defined, and the person's hair is long and flowing, partially covered by a bonnet or head covering. The person wears a long, flowing robe or gown that drapes around the body and spills onto the ground. There are no visible jewelry or objects held by the person. The background is plain and unadorned.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black chalk and gray wash on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Patrons' Permanent Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 15 x 21.3 cm (5 7/8 x 8 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1998.105.1.k

Associated Artworks

See all 86 artworks
This is a photograph of a textured brown cover with an intricate pattern. The cover has a rich, earthy tone with a subtle and complex swirling pattern across the surface. It appears to be an old book or journal cover, with a darker brown border outlining it. There is a handwritten red and black text near the top. The overall appearance suggests a vintage or antique quality, with signs of wear along the edges.

Roman Album No. 4: Italian Landscapes and Antiquities

Jacques-Louis David

1775

The image shows a person walking to the right, holding an object in their right hand. They are wearing an ancient Roman or Greek-style draped garment with a head covering. The person's face is in profile, looking slightly upward. Garlands with objects like a basket and cloth hang in the air around them. The background is plain, emphasizing the person and the hanging objects.

Ornament with a Bearded Man in Ancient Dress

Jacques-Louis David

1775

This image shows an illustration of a woman standing upright. She is wearing flowing garments that suggest movement, with one knee bent as if in motion. Her hair is styled in tight curls and appears to be pulled back. The woman's facial expression is focused as she gazes upward or forward. She seems to be holding something in her right hand, while her left arm is hidden. The background is plain.

Niobe and Her Daughter

Jacques-Louis David

1775

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Estate of the artist (sale, Paris, 17 April 1826, under no. 66; withdrawn); Mme. David (sale, Paris, 11 March 1835, under no. 16); purchased by one of David's pupils, Mlle. X (name obliterated);[1] by descent in her family; (Bruno de Bayser, Paris); purchased 1998 by NGA.
[1] According to inscription on flyleaf.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2009

  • Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500-1800. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2009, 256-258, 291, no. 112a (color).

Bibliography

2000

  • Rosenberg, Pierre. From Drawing to Painting: Poussin, Watteau, Fragonard, David, and Ingres. The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1996, Series XXI. Princeton, 2000: 39, fig. 42 (the album page).

2002

  • Rosenberg, Pierre, and Louis-Antoine Prat. Jacques-Louis David, 1748-1825: Catalogue raisonné des dessins. 2 vols. Milan, 2002, 1: no. 599.

Inscriptions

lower left: paraphe of E.D.; lower right: paraphe of J.D.

Wikidata ID

Q64580148

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