Study for the Wife and Daughters of Brutus c. 1787

Jacques Louis David made this drawing in sanguine, or red chalk, as a preparatory sketch for his painting, *The Lictors Bring to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons.* The red chalk lends itself to the depiction of flesh, allowing David to focus on the figures' forms and emotional expressions. Here, the artist coaxes tone and texture from the chalk, as he renders the contrasting smoothness of skin and the soft folds of drapery. The linear quality allows David to explore the composition and anatomy of the figures, capturing their grief-stricken poses with precision. The grid that underlies the composition reflects the artist’s process, as he experiments with ideas for a larger, more ambitious history painting. The work gives us a glimpse into the artist’s studio, and the intense labor of his practice. We see the social and political values of the time, through the material means of production. By attending to these choices, we deepen our appreciation of the artwork, beyond its narrative subject.