Servius Tullius When a Child, Asleep in the Apartment of King Tarquinius Priscus 1780 - 1790

Angelica Kauffmann created this drawing of Servius Tullius using pen and brown ink with gray wash on paper. The limited tonal range lends the image a dreamlike quality, fitting for a scene of hushed observation. The artist’s hand is evident in the confident strokes of the pen, which define the figures and their garments. Light and shadow are delicately rendered with the gray wash, creating a sense of depth and volume. Note the drapery, and the careful arrangement of the figures around the child. Kauffmann, a leading history painter, draws from a well-established visual vocabulary. Here, the fluid strokes of her pen articulate forms that echo classical statuary, with careful attention to the play of light and shadow. The scene’s stillness evokes a tableau vivant, a theatrical form popular in the 18th century, underscoring the performative nature of power and privilege depicted. The drawing’s power resides in the dynamic between the artist’s skilled hand and the rich cultural context that her drawing evokes, blurring lines between craft, fine art, and social commentary.