Sacrifice to Love c. 1766

Jean-Baptiste Greuze created this drawing, Sacrifice to Love, using black chalk and gray wash. It is rendered on paper, a relatively inexpensive and widely available material even in the 18th century. The gray wash is applied in layers, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. The chalk adds definition to the figures and landscape, and the combination gives the artwork its distinctive tonal quality. The artist coaxes the material to produce a full range of textures, from the smoothness of skin to the rough bark of trees. Paper, chalk and wash are all relatively modest materials, yet Greuze uses them to create a grand and theatrical scene. In doing so, he elevates the status of drawing, and the amount of work done by the artist's hand, positioning it as a significant art form in its own right. This represents a shift away from more traditionally prized and costly materials such as oil on canvas.