The Tale of the Cooper's Wife
1767
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1767
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Tale of the Cooper's Wife is a 1767 chalk by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows three people in a rocky outdoor scene. One woman stands holding a baby, another woman leans against her, and a man kneels nearby. The artist used soft lines and shading to show their clothes and the rough stone behind them. The drawing looks like a quick study—loose and sketchy, with light touches of red chalk. It’s not polished, which makes the figures feel more alive and spontaneous. Try looking up chiaroscuro next to see how light and shadow create drama in art.
Pierre-Antoine Baudouin (French pronunciation: ; 17 October 1723 – 15 December 1769) was a French painter. He worked in the same Rococo style of his father-in-law, François Boucher.
See the richer artist page
