Seated Boy with Pail
Michel-Martin Drolling
Description
Attributed to Michel Martin Drolling
France, 1789–1851
Seated Boy with Pot
First half of 19th century
Graphite on wove paper
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink, 2012/2.178
Subject Matter:
Attributed to the early-nineteenth century neoclassical painter Michel-Martin Drolling, this pencil sketch depicts a boy seated on a stone ledge with his feet propped up on a rock. The boy holds a pail or basket in his lap, which he tilts towards the viewer to indicate its contents are empty. With his casual dress and rolled up sleeves, this image may represent a worker with his lunch pail, and judging from his unhappy expression he seems not to have enjoyed as much refreshment as he hoped. As Albert Boime has shown, sketching was an important part of Drolling's atelier, with internal competitions held between the students every Saturday. Many of the artists that trained with Drolling went on to become significant painters in their own right.
Physical Description:
A pencil drawing of a seated boy holding a pail.
Usage Rights:
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