French School, Second Half Of The 19th Century, Young Schoolboy Holding A Book

FRENCH SCHOOL, second half of the 19th century.
"Young Schoolboy Holding a Book."
Pencil drawing with colored highlights.
Glazed wooden frame painted black.
Dimensions: H. 30 cm, W. 22.5 cm.
Dimensions with frame: 46.5 cm, W. 37.5 cm.
Tiny tear in the middle right corner.

This drawing, probably from the second half of the 19th century, depicts a young schoolboy whose features and posture reflect a determined and assertive character.
He stands with his back straight, leaning forward in front of the chair, posing proudly. His face is serious, and his focused gaze fixes the viewer with great confidence. He wears a half-sleeved smock adorned with buttons around the shoulders and arms and cinched at the waist with a belt. The whole is enhanced by a white collar with a scalloped edge from which emerges an elegant ribbon tied decoratively in a bow. His hair, parted, is neatly combed.
His more refined attire than the common schoolboy's apron suggests a privileged social background. The seemingly bound book, held in one hand on his lap, appears to confirm this. It is also a symbol of education in the latter part of the 19th century, which saw the establishment in 1882 of the secular, free, and compulsory public school system.

The anonymous artist skillfully manipulates shades of gray to sketch the folds and shadows of the student's clothing or suggest the light reflected on his smooth hair. With a few touches of white on the immaculate sleeves of his shirt or a discreet pinkish hue sketched on his refined collar, he reinforces the composition's layout. With a remarkable economy of means, the artist succeeds in conveying the sitter's inner self and presence.