Sketch and Sums n.d.

Antoine Pierre Mongin created "Sketch and Sums" using graphite on paper, sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Mongin lived through a period of intense social upheaval in France, including the French Revolution and the rise and fall of Napoleon. This small sketch, with its delicate lines and arithmetic notations, provides an intimate glimpse into the artist's personal and professional life. It stands in contrast to the grand historical paintings that dominated the era, reminding us of the everyday realities behind monumental events. Here, we see a more intimate side of artistic practice, intertwined with the practicalities of daily life. We are invited to imagine Mongin pausing from a larger project to jot down calculations, his artistic and financial worlds colliding on a single sheet of paper. The sums on the page remind us that art, even in the hands of celebrated figures, is also work. In this way, the sketch blurs the lines between artistic creation and the economic realities that shape an artist's life.