Frightened Man Looking Up; Woman and Children

British 18th Century

1750

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century Nude

About this work

This sketch shows two loose, quick drawings on a light background. The top one is a small, rough figure of a person lying down, looking up with a worried face. Below it, another figure—also nude—is curled up on their side, arms wrapped around their knees. The drawings feel urgent, like they were made fast. The lines are shaky and uneven, almost like a first try at capturing movement. If you like this sketchy style, look up lithography next.