A Pair of Monumental Academic Drawings of Demosthenes and La Belle Florentine, circa 1880

Charcoal, graphite and tonal wash on paper.

An impressive pair of large scale academic drawings depicting two celebrated sculptural subjects: Demosthenes, the ancient Greek statesman and orator, and La Belle Florentine, a Renaissance portrait bust traditionally identified as Saint Constance.

Executed with considerable technical accomplishment, the drawings exemplify the rigorous tradition of European academic draughtsmanship during the latter decades of the nineteenth century, when the study of antique and Renaissance sculpture formed an essential foundation of artistic education.

Demosthenes (384–322 BC), the celebrated Athenian orator whose surviving sculptural likeness derives from a portrait traditionally attributed to the Greek sculptor Polyeuktos.

Its companion depicts La Belle Florentine, a refined female portrait bust associated with 15th century Florentine sculpture. The delicately articulated profile, elaborate arrangement of the hair and softly modelled features demonstrate an equally sophisticated understanding of sculptural form, presenting a striking contrast to the austere character of Demosthenes.

Both sculptural subjects are represented within the collections of the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Presented in contemporary frames with ivory mounts.

80 x 60cm