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THEODORE GERICAULT Repeated study This drawing demonstrates the importance
Controversial, fiery, short-lived French Romantic of feeling confident enough to isolate parts of a subject
painter and lithographer Largely self-taught; horses repeat different views, and keep trying again. Remaining
were a favorite subject together with politics and focused upon seeing will lead to a greater understanding of
history. H e is best k n o w n f o r his gigantic painting, the subject Much is learned from repeated study, and it can
The Raft of the Medusa, displayed in the Louvre, Paris.
be applied to any subject (see pp.118-119).
Undertraces Beneath these graphite studies we see traces Tones On the top row we see clearly how Gericault laid Sketches of a Wild Striped Cat
of drawings Gericault erased. At the center of the page is broad areas of tone using fast, parallel, diagonal strokes
the outline of a horse, standing sideways, facing right. Before of his pencil. Tones that do not follow surface contour is 1817-18
paper became so cheap, artists reused sheets and crammed very difficult to do well, since it can lead to a flattened form.
them full of studies. Here, undertraces of previous drawings Beginners are advised to follow the natural contours of form 121/2 x 151/2 in ( 3 1 9 x 3 9 8 mm)
unify and vitalize the composition. as shown on pp. 124-25 and p. 144. THEODORE GERICAULT
