The arrest of Jean de La Barrière by the League at Lombez
Medium
Red chalk, pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, heightened with white, over graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 21 in. × 17 3/8 in. (53.4 × 44.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 1992
Accession Number
1992.246.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, *The Arrest of Jean de La Barrière by the League at Lombez* (1706–07) offers a vivid glimpse into a tense historical moment. Created by Matthieu Elias in collaboration with Reverend Jean de la Barrière, this large-scale drawing (21 × 17⅜ inches) captures the dramatic arrest during France's religiously charged conflicts, likely referencing the Catholic League's activities in the late 16th century at Lombez, a town in southwestern France. Such scenes from the Wars of Religion highlight the era's fervor, where political and faith-based loyalties clashed violently. Elias employs a masterful mixed-media technique typical of early 18th-century European draftsmanship: graphite underdrawing lays the foundation, red chalk models forms with subtle warmth, pen and brown ink define crisp contours, brush and brown wash build atmospheric depth, and white heightening creates luminous highlights. This layered approach not only conveys motion and emotion in the arrest but also showcases the drawing's status as a finished work, possibly intended for study, print reproduction, or private contemplation. Acquired through the Harry G. Sperling Fund in 1992, it exemplifies the period's blend of historical storytelling and technical virtuosity, inviting viewers to ponder the human cost of ideological strife.
About the Artist
Matthieu Elias|Reverend Jean de la Barrière (French|French) · 1658 |1544 –1741 |1600
French, Peene 1658–1741 Dunkerque|French, Saint-Céré 1544–1600 Rome