Woman with a Mirror, from the Villa Borghese

Woman with a Mirror, from the Villa Borghese by Jacques-Louis David is a striking example of the artist’s mastery of preparatory draftsmanship, created between 1775 and 1780. This significant drawing offers insight into the techniques employed by the future leader of French Neoclassicism during his formative years. The medium consists of brown ink and gray wash applied over a graphite sketch on laid paper, a combination that allowed David to quickly establish contour and tonal relationships before finalizing a composition. A material detail of note is that the paper is partly stained with oil, perhaps evidence of the drawing’s use or storage within a working studio environment.

Created during the period spanning 1751 to 1775, a pivotal time in the Enlightenment and the nascent phases of Neoclassicism, the work reflects the intense commitment to classical study then prevalent among French artists in Rome. The composition depicts a woman viewing her reflection, a subject that has historically carried associations of vanity or self-awareness. However, as an exercise in light and shadow, David utilizes the gray wash effectively to build the figure’s volumetric presence and define the folds of her garment. The monochromatic approach is characteristic of studies intended to isolate form and composition before the introduction of color.

This drawing is crucial for charting David’s artistic development prior to his emergence as a dominant force in academic painting. Its intimate scale contrasts sharply with the monumental history paintings for which he would become internationally famous. The technique demonstrated here reveals the precision and clarity David brought to his early planning stages. Acquired and preserved by the National Gallery of Art, this drawing serves as a vital record of the period’s prevailing aesthetic standards and the high quality of French draftsmanship. While the original piece resides securely in the museum’s collection, reproductions and high-quality prints of the work are often accessible through public domain resources, ensuring continued scholarly examination of the piece.