Provincial Figures
1861
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1861
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows quick, loose drawings of people in different poses. Some stand tall, others sit or bend over, all with simple lines and no detail. The paper is gray, and the pencil marks look light and fast, like the artist was working fast. Notice how the figures are all different sizes and shapes—some are stiff, others look relaxed. The artist didn’t focus on faces or clothes, just the movement. Try looking up Romanticism next to see how this style valued emotion over perfection.
![Figure Studies; Studies of Soldiers [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/91eae8279e0a44e1/thumb.webp)
![A Man Leaning on a Wall with Five Other Studies; Two Bearded Men Wearing Hats, and Five Other Studies [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/2df262058c2bfe48/thumb.webp)
![Two Soldiers Resting [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/989d55e6cbbf0806/thumb.webp)
![Five Studies of Soldiers and a Woman's Face; Two Figures [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/9d09632e7e517067/thumb.webp)
