Study for an allegorical figure of Justice in the ceiling decoration of the Salon du Roi, Palais Bourbon; verso: studies of allegorical figures, and architectural sketches.

Description

Eugène Delacroix gathers allegorical figures across a horizontal sheet of pencil studies for the Salon du Roi at the Palais Bourbon. A principal reclining form occupies the upper center and right, with other bodies and a separate hand study below. Faint architectural indications connect these human forms to a larger decorative setting, while overlapping lines preserve the movement of exploration.

Dated 1833, the drawing was made in graphite on wove paper. Its preparation for an allegory of Justice gives the figures a purpose beyond individual portraiture, connecting gesture and arrangement with a ceiling decoration. Delacroix tests relationships within the available space rather than presenting a finished, isolated scene. The sheet offers a close encounter with composition taking shape, where a hand, a posture and a broader group can each contribute to the developing design.

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