1790
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Study of a Semi-Reclining Figure is a 1790 ink by John Flaxman, a Romanticism work, depicting Sleep, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a figure lying back on a flat surface, drawn in neat lines. The artist used fine ink lines to shade and shape the body, making it look three-dimensional. You can see how the light hits the torso and legs, even though the background is plain. Flaxman’s style was spare and precise, almost like an outline. He worked this way for book illustrations too. The paper has a faint texture you can just make out in person. Try looking up Flaxman, John to see more like this.
John Flaxman (6 July 1755 – 7 December 1826) was an English sculptor and draughtsman who was a leading figure in British and European Neoclassicism.
See the richer artist page
![The Belvedere Torso [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/3124534f87673a3a/thumb.webp)
![Study of the "Ecorché" [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/1614b86d796e004d/thumb.webp)
