Compositie met vier hoofden van mannen van verschillende leeftijden 1758

Jean Jacques de Boissieu created this drawing of four men’s heads of various ages on paper using graphite. It’s an interesting example of how Enlightenment artists were beginning to view the individual in relation to society. Made in France, it shows us an increased interest in the human subject, and how the individual relates to the state. Boissieu’s drawing is influenced by the shift towards empirical observation and the categorization of human types. The work itself is a study, perhaps for a larger project. Drawings like this remind us of the artist's role as an observer and recorder of the human condition. To understand the work fully we should ask about the artist's world and what sources would allow us to interpret it better. The history of printmaking is essential to understanding how images were produced, consumed, and circulated during this period.