Artwork
Tobit Burying the Dead

Tobit Burying the Dead is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Jean Antoine Watteau. It dates from 1710 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:by later hand, lower left on mount in brown ink: Le Sueur
About this work
Overview
Tobit Burying the Dead is a red chalk drawing on laid paper by Antoine Watteau, dated to around 1710. It is currently held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a somber funeral scene with a group of people gathered around a grave, dressed in loose, antiquated clothing. The scene is set against a backdrop of hastily sketched trees.
Technique & Style
Executed in red chalk only, the drawing features varying line weights achieved by applying different pressures, resulting in a soft, sketchy appearance. The uniform coloration eschews traditional chiaroscuro effects.
History & Provenance
The drawing was likely created as a study rather than a finished work, given its sketchy nature.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens.

















![Female Saint Carrying a Banner [recto], by Baldassare Franceschini](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/baldassare-franceschini--female-saint-carrying-a-banner-recto--7b0a38585a5ad76d-w320.webp)

