Study for "The Siege of Gibraltar": Sprawling Figures
Original title: Study for "The Siege of Gibraltar": Sprawling Figures
kurzbeschreibung
In 1785–86, John Singleton Copley made this preparatory study for his large history painting The Siege of Gibraltar: a gathering of figures in animated poses, set down in black chalk on off-white laid paper. The sheet served as an intermediate step on the way to the monumental canvas.
Description
Several figures are spread across the width of the sheet. Some lie stretched out on the ground; others rear up or seem locked in struggle. Vigorous, flowing strokes overlap and cross, driving the movement of the scene. Foreground and background merge into one another, heightening the sense of crowding and disorder. Color and tonal gradation are entirely absent; the black of the chalk stands in pure contrast to the pale paper, so that outlines emerge clearly.
Context
The drawing belongs to the preparatory work for Copley's monumental painting of the defense of the British fortress of Gibraltar against Spanish and French forces in 1782. The finished picture was completed in 1791 and was regarded as an important history painting with which the artist sought to secure his standing as a history painter in London's art world. This study sheet shows how Copley tested the grouping of figures for the large format.
Impact
The impetuous, expansive line creates a tension-filled mood and gives the event an immediacy. Because the bodies lie close together without fixed order, a dense, insistent pictorial surface emerges that draws the viewer's gaze into the throng.
Technique
The sheet is executed in black chalk on off-white, ribbed paper. The strokes run loosely and vary in pressure, as is typical of a study intended to capture movements and postures quickly.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)