Three Studies of a Gentleman

Three Studies of a Gentleman by Jean Antoine Watteau (French, 1684-1721), created circa 1710-1711, is a masterful example of the artist’s preliminary drawing technique. Executed entirely in red chalk (sanguine) on ivory laid paper, this work showcases Watteau’s exceptional talent for capturing nuanced pose and expression with speed and economy. The use of red chalk was a signature method for French draughtsmen of the period, allowing for delicate modeling and rich tonal variation, particularly in the rendering of clothing and facial features.

Watteau was renowned for producing numerous individual figure studies, which he treated as independent works of art while simultaneously cataloging them as a reservoir of motifs for future major oil paintings, notably his defining fêtes galantes. The drawing captures the same unidentified gentleman in three distinct, rapid postures, observing the play of light across the sitter's features and the fall of the drapery. This intense focus on observational accuracy and the psychological interiority of the subject is a hallmark of Watteau's output and cemented his role as a transitional figure between the Baroque period and the emerging Rococo aesthetic in France.

As a foundational piece of 18th-century graphic arts, this piece demonstrates why Watteau remains one of the most celebrated figures in French culture. The detailed handling of the facial structure and the mastery of the medium confirm the work’s importance in the history of drawing. The drawing resides in the esteemed permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Though the original is a delicate artifact, high-quality digital prints of significant public domain works like this allow broader public study of the master’s refined technique.