Croquis pour un tableau 

This sketch, "Croquis pour un tableau," was made by Narcisse-Virgilio Diaz, using graphite on paper. It's a preparatory study, a quick and informal exploration of composition and figures. The immediacy of graphite allows for a directness of expression. Diaz is using it here to capture fleeting ideas, working out the arrangement of figures in a scene. Graphite, in its ease of use and relatively low cost, democratized drawing, making it accessible to a broader range of artists. The sketch embodies a sense of labor, of the artist working through ideas. You can almost see his hand moving across the page, the graphite leaving its trace, recording the artist's thought process. The looseness of the drawing also gives it a sense of spontaneity and improvisation, as if the artist is exploring possibilities rather than striving for a finished product. Ultimately, "Croquis pour un tableau" reminds us that the value of art lies not only in the finished object but also in the process of creation.