An Antique Sacrificial Scene (recto); Sketch of a Group of People (verso)

Art Historical Context

Johann Eleazar Zeissig, called Schenau (1737–1798), a prominent German draftsman and director of the Academy of Art, created this double-sided sheet around 1779. The recto depicts an "Antique Sacrificial Scene evoking the dramatic rituals of classical antiquity—likely inspired by Roman or Greek mythology. Figures in flowing drapery surround an altar, conveying tension and suffering among men and women, a theme resonant in late 18th-century Neocicism's revival of ancient grandeur and pathos. Schenau employed a sophisticated mixed-media technique: black chalk underdrawing laid the foundation, enhanced by fluid brushwork in gray ink and white gouache highlights for luminous depth and volume. This method, common in preparatory studies for history paintings, allowed for quick yet expressive modeling of light and shadow. The verso features a looser black chalk sketch of a group of people, perhaps exploratory figures for another composition, showcasing the artist's spontaneous creativity. Later framing lines in pen and brown ink were added by a collector. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011, this drawing exemplifies Schenau's mastery in blending Rococo elegance with emerging Neoclassical rigor, offering visitors a window into Enlightenment-era fascination with the heroic past. (198 words)