Study for "The Rustic Dancers"

John Hamilton Mortimer

1772

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism 18th Century

About this work

This sketch shows three women sitting close together, drawn in loose, quick lines. One holds a pipe, another leans back slightly, and the third rests her arm on the shoulder of the person in the middle. The paper has a warm, slightly textured look, and the ink lines vary in thickness. The drawing feels like a quick practice session—maybe the artist was testing poses or expressions. The lines aren’t perfectly smooth; some areas are darker where the ink was layered. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with crisscrossed lines.