Drawing for "La Colonne Trajane" 1715 - 1770

Francois Boucher made this drawing for "La Colonne Trajane" using paper and red chalk. Chalk is interesting because it is so elemental - literally dust, ground from stone. The artist has rendered the figures with careful shading, and parallel strokes to build up volume. There's an inherent tension in this work. Boucher was deeply influenced by the Renaissance, when drawing was seen as the foundation for all art. The use of red chalk lends the figures a warmth and vitality, making them seem almost lifelike. Yet, it is also just a sketch, and the rough, unfinished quality of the drawing reminds us of the labor and process involved in creating art. Boucher lived in an era defined by its own kind of labor – the rise of industrial production. His commitment to drawing, a traditional skill, can be seen as a quiet commentary on these changes. Even today, it asks us to consider the value of craft in a world increasingly dominated by mass production.