Studies of Hands by Louis Roland Trinquesse

Studies of Hands c. 1770s - 1780s

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drawing, dry-media, pencil, charcoal

drawing

dry-media

pencil drawing

pencil

charcoal

Dimensions 14 3/4 x 10 3/8 in. (37.47 x 26.35 cm) (image)

Louis Roland Trinquesse created this drawing, Studies of Hands, using red chalk on paper. Immediately, you will notice the concentration on form, with delicate lines and shading that bring the hands to life. The composition is deceptively simple; several studies are arranged on the page, each showcasing a different position and angle. The artwork's strength lies in its ability to distill human expression down to a single body part. Trinquesse invites a reading of hands as signs, charged with cultural and personal meanings. Are these hands of labor, prayer, or gentle affection? Through their arrangement, the drawing destabilizes a singular interpretation, suggesting the multifaceted nature of human existence. Note how Trinquesse employs the texture of the chalk to further animate his forms. This element is not merely aesthetic but fundamental in communicating ideas about action, and perception. The drawing captures a moment in time and extends it into a broader reflection on representation.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart over 1 year ago

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This previously unidentified drawing has recently been attributed to Louis Roland Trinquesse, a French genre and portrait painter whose accomplished red chalk studies were avidly collected in his lifetime. The depiction of hands proved difficult for Trinquesse, who often painted them as clumsy and misshapen. This shortcoming may have prompted the artist to execute some hand studies from life. His skillful handling of the chalk in this sheet and meticulous description of parts of the hands, as well as drapery and buttoned sleeves contrast with its awkward portrayal of some of the fingers. The largest hand, for instance, is shown with a disproportionately long thumb, and the hand in the middle in the sheet is also distorted, with an oddly shaped, extended thumb and arthritically strained joints and knuckles.