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Sheet of Studies [recto and verso]

John Flaxman

1790

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century

Dominant colour

Sheet of Studies [recto and verso] is a 1790 graphite by John Flaxman, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: John Flaxman
When & what style?: 1790 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sheet is covered in quick, sketchy drawings of people tangled together. Some groups are piled high, others sprawled out, all done in loose, wavy lines. The paper is light, almost like the artist was working fast, letting the pencil blur the shapes. The drawings look like they’re from a busy scene—maybe a story or a myth. The lines are light and scratchy, not polished, as if the artist was testing ideas. Next, check out Romanticism to see how this style fits into bigger art trends.