Figure study
Medium
Graphite
Dimensions
7-3/8 x 3-3/4 in. (18.7 x 9.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Albert Broccoil, 1980
Accession Number
1980.1138.11
Tags
Art Historical Context
Félicien Rops’s *Figure Study* offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s working process. Rendered in graphite on paper measuring just 7-3/8 by 3-3/4 inches, the drawing captures multiple heads of men and women with economical yet expressive lines. As a preparatory sketch, it reveals Rops’s attention to facial structure, varied expressions, and the subtle relationships between figures, all hallmarks of a skilled draftsman exploring human character. Graphite’s versatility—its capacity for delicate hatching, soft shading, and crisp contour—makes it ideal for such studies, allowing rapid nota...
About the Artist
Félicien Rops · 1833–1898
Félicien Rops, born Félicien Victor Joseph Rops on July 7, 1833, in Namur, Belgium, to a prosperous textile manufacturing family, displayed prodigious artistic talent from youth. The only child of Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile, he received private tutoring until age ten, followed by education at a Jesuit school in Namur (1843–1848), the Athénée Royal de Namur, and the Academy of Fine Arts there...