Figure Study, From the Antique
Figure Study, From the Antique
Artist
Louis Lang
(1814 - 1893)
Dateca. 1835
MediumGraphite on paper
Dimensions13 3/4 x 8 7/8 in. (34.9 x 22.5 cm)
Framed: 26 5/8 x 21 3/4 x 2 in. (67.6 x 55.2 x 5.1 cm)
Framed: 26 5/8 x 21 3/4 x 2 in. (67.6 x 55.2 x 5.1 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2007.108
Signedl.r.: Paris Lang
Accession number
2007.108
On View
Not on viewLabel TextIn the past, artists often learned to draw the human figure from plaster casts of Greek and Roman statuary. Plaster casts were cheaper than models, readily available, and remain perfectly still. However, while sculptures may be exquisitely rendered, even this sketch reveals that working from a cast adds a level of simplification and idealization to the human form, inserting a layer of distance between the artist and human body.
