Where can I see Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures?

Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures?

Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures is associated with Neoclassicism.

Can I buy a print of Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures?

Museum-quality prints of Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures

Jacques-Louis David , 1778

Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures is a chalk drawing by the Neoclassicist artist Jacques-Louis David. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Jacques‑Louis David produced the drawing titled Dice‑Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures in 1778.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower center in gray wash: l'Arn(not deciphered); lower left: paraphes of E.D. and J.D.; illegible inscription on verso

About this work

Overview

Jacques‑Louis David produced the drawing titled Dice‑Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures in 1778. Executed in black chalk with a gray wash on laid paper, the work comprises a small group of studies rather than a finished composition.

Subject & Meaning

The sheet contains three rapid portrait studies of heads alongside a seated figure dressed in a loose robe and a striped cap. The seated man is shown with one leg bent, while the three detached heads display varied hairstyles, curly, smooth‑capped, and wavy, suggesting a comparative exploration of facial types.

Technique & Style

David employs loose, gestural lines and modest shading to render the folds of the garment and the modeling of the faces. The use of black chalk for contour and a gray wash for tonal depth reflects a preparatory approach, emphasizing the study of light, shadow, and form rather than detailed finish.

History & Provenance

Created in the late 1770s, the drawing belongs to David’s early period of academic training, when he regularly copied and interpreted classical sculpture. It serves as evidence of his methodical practice preceding larger, narrative paintings.

Apollo and Studies of the Artist's Own Hand [recto], Francesco Fontebasso

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Artist & collection

Artist

Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David was born in Paris on 30 August 1748 into a bourgeois family; his father died in a duel when the boy was nine, and a maternal uncle guided his education.