Artwork
Man with a Cornucopia and Seated Woman
Man with a Cornucopia and Seated Woman is an oil drawing by the Neoclassicist artist Jacques-Louis David. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Man with a Cornucopia and Seated Woman is a modestly sized drawing executed in 1778 by the French artist Jacques‑Louis David. Rendered as a transfer tracing on oiled laid paper, the work records a male figure bearing a cornucopia alongside a seated female figure, rendered in a compact compositional format.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a standing man clutching a horn of plenty, a traditional emblem of abundance, while a woman sits calmly beside him. The juxtaposition of the two figures suggests a narrative of provision and domesticity, though the drawing itself functions primarily as a preparatory study rather than a finished narrative piece.
Technique & Style
David employed a precise, linear approach, with clear contours and subtle chiaroscuro that model the faces and suggest a light source from the left. The transfer tracing method allowed him to capture the immediacy of the gesture while preserving the delicate tonal variations characteristic of his academic drawing practice.
History & Provenance
Created during David’s early career, the drawing served as a preparatory sketch for a larger composition later realized in oil. The completed painting is now part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is displayed alongside related works by the artist.
Context
In the late 1770s David was establishing his reputation within the French Academy, producing studies that would inform his grand historical canvases. This drawing reflects his interest in classical motifs, such as the cornucopia, and his methodical planning process that would culminate in more ambitious works.
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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