Object of the Day: A Curious Mid-Nineteenth Century Drawing

Among the lot of drawings from the portfolio of a mid-Nineteenth Century artist that I purchased several years ago was a rather strange oblong scrap of paper. The reverse of the leaf is scarred with the remains of some kind of glue which had once adhered this mysterious drawing to the portfolio.

Unsigned—as are the others—it is clearly the work of the same artist. Rendered in sepia-colored ink, this representation of a female figure in a flowing robe has an almost ethereal quality. One wonders if it is meant to be a study for a painting, a quick portrait or a sketch of a Classical sculpture. She is certainly statuesque. I can’t help but think this may be a drawing of a sculpture or, perhaps, even a costume design. Others of the collection of drawings were most assuredly designs for theatrical costumes. Perhaps this was another. Similarly, the same artist did sketches of sculptural figures as well.

So, what exactly this is, I’m not sure. However, it’s attractive for being so curious. And, a little bit of mystery often makes things all the more alluring.