The Education of the Virgin

Deshays employs rapid, gestural lines to convey movement, while the interplay of red chalk and brown ink creates a warm, earthy palette. White gouache highlights key elements, particularly the angelic figure and the lamp, enhancing contrast against the loosely sketched architectural background.

The drawing was produced in the mid‑eighteenth century, a period when French academicians often used preparatory studies to explore narrative scenes. It entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings through acquisition, though earlier ownership details remain undocumented.

The work reflects the era’s interest in religious education narratives, aligning with contemporary devotional art that emphasized the formative influence of divine instruction on the Virgin Mary. Its preparatory nature suggests it may have been a study for a larger composition or a teaching tool within Deshays’s workshop.