This week, we began figure drawing in my Drawing 2 course. Last night we had a great model with a very interesting tattoo. I completed a 30 minute drawing while the students were working. I don’t usually draw tattoos when observing the figure but hers was worth capturing.
I walked around the room to check on the students’ progress while they were working and one sketch (in the blocking in stage) reminded me of the The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David, 1793. I think that it was the body laying on a horizontal plane with one arm hanging down, because upon comparing the two, our model’s pose is much more playful (with her toes pointed in the air). Either way, below you will find an image of The Death of Marat for you to compare. Enjoy!
In the work below by David, he has painted his good friend Jean-Paul Marat, right after his murder. David visited Marat the day before and was able to recall the setting where it took place. In this work Marat, painted as a young man, is dying in his bathtub after being stabbed by Charlotte Corday. The viewer can see suffering in his face but also a sense of peacefulness as he drifts away.
I like the way you connect an old master with a new:)