A Scene from the Life of Trajan

Conrad Martin Metz

1817

chalk

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Allegory aeneas

About this work

This drawing shows a Roman emperor in fancy armor standing among soldiers. The artist used fine lines and ink washes to show light and shadow on armor and faces. Conrad Metz made this in 1817 when he was still training. He’d later work on big history paintings but this early piece shows his careful linework. Check out Conrad Martin Metz’s other work at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.