Study for “The Death of Major Peirson”: Two Dead Figures

Description

Two Dead Figures occupies only a small part of a largely open working sheet. The compact bodies sit low in the composition, with one bent form beside the other, while a grid and handwritten notes remain visible around them. The pale paper gives the study a subdued appearance, making the concentrated cluster of marks seem especially deliberate within the wider, unfinished field.

John Singleton Copley made the drawing in 1782–83 for The Death of Major Peirson. Black chalk and white heightening on blue paper distinguish contours and illuminated surfaces without developing a complete battlefield setting. The sheet isolates a specific group from the historical painting, allowing the placement and relationship of the fallen figures to be studied on their own. Its remaining divisions and annotations preserve the character of preparatory work.

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