Study for the Portrait of General Desaix 1795 - 1805

This preparatory drawing by Andrea Appiani is a study for the artist's larger portrait of General Louis Desaix, a French general who died in battle in 1800. The drawing shows Desaix's face in profile, and highlights his features through meticulous and subtle lines, characteristic of Appiani's style. This drawing, created between 1795 and 1805, exemplifies the Italian Neoclassical movement that Appiani was part of. The drawing, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, exemplifies the artist's mastery of capturing likeness and detail, and provides insight into the artistic process behind the artist's finished portrait.