1885
ink
paperboard
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Study for "Commerce" is a 1885 ink by John La Farge, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows three tall scenes packed with people. On the left, a woman in flowing robes stands near a man with a spear, while others gather around them. The middle panel has a seated woman holding a staff, surrounded by a crowd in a room with columns. The right side shows a dramatic scene with a falling figure and a group of people in a stormy landscape. Notice how the artist uses quick, sketchy lines to fill the whole page—no empty space. The figures look busy but not fully detailed, like a quick draft. Check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with layered lines.
John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
![The Triumph of Julius Caesar [no.7 and 8 plus 2 columns]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/75ccf1616a5609e2/thumb.webp)
