Study for "The Siege of Gibraltar": Figure Reaching; Sprawling Figures; Cheering Group; Dying Sailors
Original title: Study for "The Siege of Gibraltar": Figure Reaching; Sprawling Figures; Cheering Group; Dying Sailors
kurzbeschreibung
This chalk study from 1785–86 was made by John Singleton Copley as preparatory work for his monumental painting The Siege of Gibraltar. On light blue laid paper it captures several groups of figures: a figure lying on the ground stretching upward with a staff, another extended figure nearby, and a cheering crowd in the background. Drawn in black chalk with white-chalk heightening, the sheet explores a range of dramatic poses.
Description
In the foreground a figure lies full length, angling a long staff or lance upward. Close by, a second person is also on the ground in a stretched posture. Behind them a group looks upward, some with raised arms; at left a single figure stands upright, turning to the left. Black and white on light blue paper combine into a lively, animated fabric of forms.
Context
This study served as preparation for Copley's large history painting The Siege of Gibraltar, which depicts the heroic defense of the British fortress against Spanish and French troops in 1782. Copley executed the painting in London between 1783 and 1791, and it became a much-noted exhibition piece. The sheets show how he designed individual figures and groups separately, later inserting them into the complex overall composition—a hallmark of his careful preparation of historical scenes with numerous studies.
Impact
Dynamic poses and the strong chalk contrast create a dense drama. Figures lying down, straining upward, and cheering meet one another, generating a tense mood that conveys both the gravity of battle and the hope of rescue. Because the sheet is reduced to black and white, with the pale paper tone as the ground, the movements and bodily attitudes come to the fore.
Technique
Black chalk and white-chalk heightening on light blue, ribbed laid paper were used here. With the white heightening Copley sets targeted accents of light that emphasize bodily volume and the drama of the scene. The loose, sketchy stroke reveals the work's status as a design and points to its function as a preparatory drawing for the later painting.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)