Comte de Forbin 1805 - 1824

Curator: Here we have Jacques-Louis David's pencil sketch of Comte de Forbin, a small work housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It measures only about 21 by 16 centimeters. Editor: The grid underneath his figure is fascinating! It feels like the Comte is standing inside a mathematical equation, like some kind of classical ideal. Curator: Indeed. David, with his rigorous Neoclassical style, often used grids to achieve accurate proportions and convey rationality. Consider how this technique reinforces the Enlightenment values that shaped Revolutionary-era imagery. Editor: And despite being a preliminary sketch, it's full of symbols! That hat, overflowing with plumes, signals Forbin's status, along with the cape emblazoned with what seem to be family crests. Curator: Precisely, these visual markers are essential in understanding how aristocratic power presented itself in public imagery. Editor: It's remarkable how this tiny sketch encapsulates such a complex moment in history.