Artwork
Two Female Figures from the Villa Medici
Two Female Figures from the Villa Medici is an ink 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
Two Female Figures from the Villa Medici is a drawing by Jacques-Louis David, created in 1778 using brown ink and gray wash over graphite on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts two robed women on pedestals, with the left figure having her head tilted back and arm outstretched, and the right figure holding a small object, possibly a scroll or tool, and wearing a wreath.
Technique & Style
Executed in a quick, sketchy style, the work features simple lines and gray wash shading, suggesting a study rather than a finished piece. The artist's signature 'D. J.' and labels 'Villemedicin' for each figure are visible.
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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