Studies for a Lunette [recto] 1890 - 1897

Charles Sprague Pearce made this pencil, black chalk, and colored pencil study for a lunette, on paper. Pearce was part of a generation of American artists who gained prominence by painting in the academic style of the French Salon. These sketches give us a peek into the artistic process behind creating large-scale artworks during the late 19th century. Lunettes, often semi-circular in shape, were typically placed above doorways or windows, and Pearce would have had to consider the architectural space as well as his subject matter. His studies on this sheet show different arrangements of figures, giving us a glimpse into the artist's thought process. In this drawing, we can see how Pearce played with classical artistic traditions to create works that were both beautiful and meaningful. The identities of the figures are unclear, but the composition and style point to the ongoing influence of classical themes in modern art. It reminds us how artists in the past used their work to connect with history and the world around them.