Composition Study with Figures Distributing Bread
19th century
Medium
Pen and blue ink, over graphite, on tracing paper. Lined.
Dimensions
14 7/8 x 8 3/16 in. (37.8 x 20.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Carl L. Selden Gift, in memory of Carl L. Selden, 1983
Accession Number
1983.311
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate composition study by Lehmann captures the artist’s approach to arranging human figures in a scene of communal sharing. Created in the 19th century with pen and blue ink over graphite on tracing paper, the drawing reveals the careful process behind larger finished works. The translucent paper allowed Lehmann to refine poses and groupings, transferring ideas from one sheet to another with precision and fluidity. As a preparatory piece, study highlights the importance of drawing in 19th-century artistic practice. Lehmann’s use of blue ink adds a distinctive tonal quality, emphasizi...
About the Artist
Henri Lehmann
French, Kiel 1814–1882 Paris