Studies of Three Women
about 1715–1716
- Medium
- Red, black, and white chalk
- Dimensions
- 26.8 × 32.7 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-206664
>It was [Jean-Antoine Watteau's] habit to make his drawings in a bound book, so that he always had a large supply of them at hand. When he was in the mood to paint a picture, he resorted to his collection of drawings and chose the figures most suited for the occasion. Just as this early biographer described, Watteau made this drawing as a study of women's costumes and movement. The central figure later appeared in his painting, *Embarkation for Cythera*, a diploma piece that gained him membership in the Académie Royale in 1717; the right figure appeared in another painting. Watteau may have first learned the three-colored chalk technique called *trois crayons* by studying Peter Paul Rubens's drawings. This example shows his mastery of the technique and of composition. Watteau achieved brilliant color effects not only through the sensitivity of his line but also by setting down each chalk separately, rather than mixing the three colors. Although each figure is a separate study, Watteau arranged the three elements to create a pleasing, balanced composition.
Provenance
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Registry history
- about 1715–1716 — Recorded in the collection of J. Paul Getty Museum — drawings
Registered on Collect24
The identity of the collector is never published. Purchase information, documents and the exact location of the artwork remain private.
Ownership not yet verified on Collect24
This artwork is documented in the Global Art Registry, but no Collect24 account is linked to it as the owner. Claiming keeps this record and its Collect24 Art ID — nothing is created a second time.
Do you own or represent this artwork? Claim this artwork →Auction history
Public sale records matched to this work. Ownership is never disclosed.
Loading sale records…