The Sacrifice of Iphigenia 1750 - 1760

Carle Vanloo rendered "The Sacrifice of Iphigenia" in delicate pen and brown ink, heightened with white gouache, on paper. The sepia wash gives the scene an atmospheric quality, as if lifted from the mists of ancient myth, while the fine pen work adds crisp detail to faces and drapery. This combination of techniques is interesting. Wash drawing is typically a quick study, a way to rapidly explore light and shadow. The careful hatching and cross-hatching here, though, builds up the image slowly, with great attention to tone. Vanloo was clearly working within a well-established academic tradition, and the drawing speaks to the hierarchical world of the French Royal Academy. While a rapidly executed sketch might have served his purposes, this finished drawing is a demonstration of skill, worthy of display in its own right. It reminds us that drawing in Vanloo’s time wasn't just a preliminary step, but a valued end in itself, blurring the line between craft and fine art.