Artwork
Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures
Dice-Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures is a chalk drawing by the Neoclassicist artist Jacques-Louis David. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Jacques‑Louis David produced the drawing titled Dice‑Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures in 1778.
About this work
Overview
Jacques‑Louis David produced the drawing titled Dice‑Thrower and Other Studies after Ancient Sculptures in 1778. Executed in black chalk with a gray wash on laid paper, the work comprises a small group of studies rather than a finished composition.
Subject & Meaning
The sheet contains three rapid portrait studies of heads alongside a seated figure dressed in a loose robe and a striped cap. The seated man is shown with one leg bent, while the three detached heads display varied hairstyles—curly, smooth‑capped, and wavy—suggesting a comparative exploration of facial types.
Technique & Style
David employs loose, gestural lines and modest shading to render the folds of the garment and the modeling of the faces. The use of black chalk for contour and a gray wash for tonal depth reflects a preparatory approach, emphasizing the study of light, shadow, and form rather than detailed finish.
History & Provenance
Created in the late 1770s, the drawing belongs to David’s early period of academic training, when he regularly copied and interpreted classical sculpture. It serves as evidence of his methodical practice preceding larger, narrative paintings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques-Louis David was born in Paris on 30 August 1748 into a bourgeois family; his father died in a duel when the boy was nine, and a maternal uncle guided his education.
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