Staande man in toga 1765 - 1781

Jean Grandjean created this drawing of a standing man in a toga with graphite on paper. Graphite, essentially pencil lead, is a humble material, yet here it’s masterfully employed. Grandjean coaxes light and shadow from the graphite, creating the illusion of depth and volume in the draped toga. You can almost feel the weight of the fabric. Look closely, and you can see how the artist used the grid as an aid, marking out a series of rectangles with horizontal and vertical lines in order to establish a proportional relationship between the parts, and the whole of the composition. Drawing served a vital role in Grandjean's practice as a foundation for larger paintings or other works. It was a process of refinement, a way of understanding form before committing to a final composition. By focusing on the materials and the making, we can appreciate Grandjean's skill, and the significance of the work that lay behind the finished object.