Sheet of Sketches, No. 3 c. 1830

Editor: Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps’ "Sheet of Sketches, No. 3," a lithograph from around 1830, feels almost like a scrapbook page of quick observations. There are so many different scenes packed onto this single sheet. What compositional elements strike you most in this print? Curator: The density of mark-making certainly commands attention. Note how the artist exploits the tonal range achievable through lithography. Observe, too, the strategic placement of the sketches; they aren't haphazard. The arrangement provides a balanced asymmetry. How does the varied weight of line impact your reading of depth? Editor: I see what you mean about the balanced asymmetry. The cluster of figures to the left feels grounded by the heavier lines, whereas the landscapes on the right use thinner lines to suggest distance. How does that variance of the line lead to depth? Curator: Precisely. Consider, too, the use of hatching and cross-hatching. Decamps manipulates these techniques to build volume and shadow, creating a palpable sense of form, particularly in the figures and faces. And then consider that hatching beside the wispy outlines; what is their purpose? Editor: Well, if the form emerges in the darker marks, perhaps that enables a suggestion of three-dimensionality alongside a much flatter plane. Is there a visual tension between them? Curator: Intriguing. The artist leverages that very tension. Now, regard how Decamps alternates between rendering specific details and implying form. Editor: So, it is less about an accurate portrayal and more about an interplay between representation and suggestion? Curator: Exactly! The suggestive aspects further draw one’s attention into line, shape and form. This way of examining and deciphering, it is one key benefit of the formalist analysis, for me. Thank you, I see that variance and what purpose it serves even better now.