Chatsworth [recto]

David Cox

1831

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century

About this work

This sketch shows a rough, pencil drawing of a landscape with a large building in the distance. Trees line the path leading to it, and the whole scene looks like it was drawn quickly. The lines are light and uneven, almost like a quick note of what the artist saw. The artist used only graphite on paper, leaving the background mostly empty. This style makes the scene feel more like a draft than a finished picture. Next, check out the technique: sfumato to see how artists use soft blending.