Study of Atlas

charleshaslewoodshannon

drawing

imaginative character sketch

light pencil work

incomplete sketchy

personal sketchbook

idea generation sketch

character sketch

pen-ink sketch

sketchbook drawing

fantasy sketch

initial sketch

This charcoal drawing by Charles Haslewood Shannon depicts a study of Atlas, the Titan condemned to hold up the sky. The composition is striking in its simplicity, with Atlas’s muscular physique taking center stage. Shannon’s loose, expressive lines capture the weight and strain of Atlas’s burden, as he struggles to support the massive weight above him, a stark contrast to the simplified shape of the sky which hovers over him. This study, created between 1863 and 1937, exemplifies Shannon's mastery of drawing and his ability to convey emotion and narrative through simple lines.