Daughter of Jephthah

About this work

This drawing shows a group of people in a dramatic scene. A woman in flowing robes stands to the right, looking down, while a man on horseback raises his arm like he’s giving an order. Behind them, soldiers hold spears, and a city with towers appears in the background. The figures are sketched in ink with light shading, and the whole scene has a gold frame. The woman’s sad expression stands out—she’s often called the "Daughter of Jephthah," a story from the Bible where a father makes a heartbreaking promise. The artist used a mix of ink and white paint to make the figures pop against the warm brown background. Next, check out gouache to see how artists use opaque white paint to add highlights like this.