Studies for Joan of Arc

William Etty

1845

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century

About this work

This sketch shows five quick, rough figures drawn in brown ink. The lines are loose and wobbly, like someone scribbled fast. One person holds what looks like a hat or helmet. The paper is light, and the ink is smudged in spots. The artist used fast strokes to capture movement, not details. This style was common in early sketches. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with lines.