A Man Fleeing from a Nun Praying in a Cemetery

Fay employs fine graphite lines to delineate figures and architectural details, while a muted gray wash creates atmospheric depth and a somber tonal range. The drawing reflects the Düsseldorf school's emphasis on precise realism and careful storytelling, using controlled shading to model forms and suggest the damp, overcast ambience of a cemetery.

The work remains documented as part of Fay’s early output, produced shortly after his affiliation with the Düsseldorfer Malerschule. Its provenance traces through private collections in Germany before entering a public holding in the early twentieth century, where it has been referenced in studies of mid‑nineteenth‑century German illustration.