Figures in Theatrical Costumes
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and red wash, over red chalk
Dimensions
6 1/16 x 7 7/8 in. (15.4 x 20.0 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1906
Accession Number
06.1042.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, *Figures in Theatrical Costumes*, captures the lively spirit of early eighteenth-century French theater through its depiction of men in elaborate period attire, complete with swords and dramatic poses. Created with pen and brown ink, brush and red wash over red chalk, the work showcases the fluid, expressive techniques favored by artists of the time for capturing movement and texture in costume studies. The small scale—roughly six by eight inches—suggests it may have served as a preparatory sketch, allowing the artist to experiment with drapery, gesture, and character be...
About the Artist
Claude Gillot|Antoine Watteau · 1673–1722
Artist known for his elegant designs done in the Rococo manner of Audran; also for his predilection for scenes from the 'comedia dell'arte.' Few paintings survive; his work is known mainly through drawings and etchings. Comment on works: Genre; History