Two Flying Figures with a Lyre (Study for The Sacred Grove, Beloved of the Arts and the Muses) c. 1883

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes made this drawing, "Two Flying Figures with a Lyre," as a study for a larger mural. He used graphite, a humble material, on a gridded paper that feels more like a technical blueprint than a fine art surface. Look closely at the marks. You can see the artist working through the composition. The graphite is layered, searching for the precise lines to capture the figures' floating forms. The grid, visible underneath, acts as a guide, a framework for translating his vision onto a grand scale. This drawing provides insight into the labor-intensive process behind monumental art. It reminds us that even seemingly effortless images are the result of careful planning and painstaking execution. By revealing the usually hidden groundwork, de Chavannes elevates the status of the study, showing that the true heart of art lies in its making.