Artwork Page for Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin’s Deluge") (verso)

Details / Information for Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin’s Deluge") (verso)

Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin’s Deluge") (verso)

c. 1816

Théodore Géricault

(French, 1791–1824)

after Nicolas Poussin

(French, 1594–1665)
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Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
brown wash and black crayon
Measurements
Sheet: 18 x 26.2 cm (7 1/16 x 10 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2008.378.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Géricault's drawing of a man clutching the mane of a horse as they struggle together to stay afloat is a direct copy of a detail from one of Nicolas Poussin's (1594-1665) most celebrated paintings, The Deluge, or Winter (see photo). Small in scale but monumental in feeling, the sheet exemplifies the artist's "antique manner" of drawing, which he began to develop around 1815. This style, with its heavy contour lines and broad washes, developed in tandem with Géricault's renewed interest in copying works of art from the past, such as prints after ancient sculpture and works by Raphael (1483-1520), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Poussin.
A horizontally oriented drawing in brown wash and black crayon features broad, uneven layers of dark pigment. A dense horizontal band of rough black crayon marks crosses the center, while vertical masses gather on the right. On the left, two thin diagonal lines angle toward the top edge. Visible hatching and brush strokes create a rough texture throughout. Translucent tape remnants mark the top corners, and a sketchy black border frames the bottom.

Compositional Study? (possibly for "Poussin’s Deluge") (verso)

c. 1816

Théodore Géricault, Nicolas Poussin

(French, 1791–1824), (French, 1594–1665)
France, 19th century

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