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Athlete

Maker

Attributed to
(artist)
1791-1824

Title

Athlete

Date of Production

1816 - 1817

Medium

graphite, pen and dark brown ink on wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 14.5 cm
Width: 8.9 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.3976

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords





Label Text

This work has been linked to the so-called exercise of the ‘cinq points’, where five dots are randomly placed on a sheet. The task is to link them all in the form of a figure, leading to expressive movement. Géricault delineated the athlete’s silhouette with a sharp and powerful line, aptly rendering the contorted forms and the tensions of the body. This fine drawing certainly dates from the period of the artist’s trip to Italy, when he was influenced by Michelangelo’s authoritative interpretation of the human figure.

Provenance

purchased by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952) in Paris, n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

CORPUS: The Body Unbound, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 16/06/2017-16/07/2017

Special Display - French Drawings of the 19th century, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 08/02/2008-12/06/2008

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Collector's mark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower centre, graphite, underlined: "Gericault".

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