Study for “The Siege of Gibraltar”: Figures Astride Spar

Description

A cluster of bodies gathers around a spar in John Singleton Copley’s study for The Siege of Gibraltar. The vertical concentration of figures contrasts with the diagonal support extending toward the right, giving their arrangement a sense of precarious balance. A grid runs across the working sheet, showing how this close study of people could be carried into a much larger historical scene.

Made in 1785–86 with black, red and white chalk on dark blue paper, the study brings several kinds of emphasis into the same page. Copley uses the marks to consider the figures before they enter a larger historical scene. The drawing’s appeal lies in that concentrated preparation. An episode of danger becomes something the artist can examine through bodies and their arrangement, allowing the viewer to see how dramatic meaning is built from carefully considered forms.

Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the John Singleton Copley collection.