Original Double-sided Drawing - Antiquity Rediscovered - Notes By A Traveler On The Grand Tour

Attributed to Jean-Guillaume Moitte, this remarkable double-sided drawing is a valuable record of the archaeological sketches and studies of ancient art created during the artist’s trip to Italy around 1770.

Executed in pen and sepia wash on paper, one side of the sheet features several figures inspired by Greek sculpture: a seated, draped woman holding a scroll, accompanied by a dog lying beneath her seat, as well as a nude male figure in a monumental pose reminiscent of the heroic models of Classical antiquity. The composition reveals great confidence in the line work and a careful study of sculptural volumes, characteristics typical of artists trained in the study of Italian antiquities.

The reverse features an elegant motif of a vase or cylindrical base adorned with ancient figures arranged in a processional frieze, in a style directly inspired by the decorative sketches made by French residents and travelers in Rome during the 18th century. This composition evokes the major archaeological collections that fueled the neoclassical taste of the time.

With its delicate linework, the quality of its wash, and its documentary character, this sheet is fully in keeping with the tradition of 18th-century French academic studies linked to the rediscovery of Greco-Roman antiquity.

In very good condition despite a few slight marks and small foxing spots inherent to its age.

23 cm x 30 cm.