Atlas and One of the Hesperides

Atlas and One of the Hesperides by Jacques-Louis David, executed between 1775 and 1780, is a crucial preparatory work offering direct insight into the young artist’s technical methods. Classified as a drawing, this piece utilizes the specific medium of a transfer tracing on oiled laid paper. This technique involves placing a sheet of thin, oiled paper over an original study and tracing the outlines of the figures, often for the purpose of transferring the design onto a new surface, or for scaling and refining the composition.

Created during the dynamic period encompassing 1751 to 1775, this French drawing reflects David’s rigorous academic training prior to his establishment as the definitive master of Neoclassicism. The subject matter derives directly from classical mythology, depicting the Titan Atlas, who was punished by Zeus to hold the sky, likely in consultation with one of the Hesperides, guardians of Hera’s garden of golden apples. David’s early works were characterized by this intense study of ancient narratives and human anatomy, emphasizing clarity of line and form over painterly effects.

The importance of the drawing lies in its function as an engineering tool in the process of creating larger history paintings. Its existence confirms David’s meticulous planning for his complex compositions. Although the tracing itself provides minimal shading or detail, the outlines capture the sculptural quality of the figures and the dramatic tension inherent in the mythological scene.

This significant example of 18th-century draftsmanship, housed in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, allows scholars to analyze the sequential development of David’s compositions. Such preparatory works, sometimes later reproduced as prints or engravings, document the transitionary phase of French art between the late Rococo and the rise of the austere Neoclassical style championed by David himself.