642 - Martin Drolling, Study for a composition with multiple figures, large drawing c. 1800, framed

Martin Drolling, Study for a composition with multiple figures, large drawing c. 1800, framed Martin Drolling, also known as Martin Drölling (as seen in his signature), 1752 Oberhergheim near Colmar - 1817 Paris, a leading French genre and portrait painter; here: a multi-figure compositional study: on the left, a group of five people, both young and old, gathered around a bearded old man writing in a book. On the right, a youthful female or male head with long hair. The depiction is reminiscent of classical historical or biblical scenes featuring scribes. Masterful drawing, pencil with white highlights on light grey paper, approx. 25 x 40 cm, signed on the right, attractively framed below the passepartout About the artist: Martin Drolling achieved fame primarily through his richly detailed, atmospheric scenes of everyday life from the bourgeois milieu, which were strongly inspired by the style of the Old Dutch Masters. He received his initial artistic training from a painter in Schlettstadt (Sélestat). In 1779, he moved to Paris to study at the renowned École des Beaux-Arts. He built a successful career, and his works enjoyed great popularity even during his lifetime, being reproduced many times as copperplate engravings and lithographs. He mainly produced genre paintings depicting middle-class life. His children, Michel-Martin and Louise-Adéone, received their initial artistic training from him and later became painters themselves.