ON DRAWING

found, the signs that they have found most suitable for expressing such or such passion in a head. The young artist will also consult his reason and his heart, and will do only what he will feel himself. The famous Le Brun, who had particularly studied this area, left us with very beautiful models of these different characters of passions, which one can consult. There is a series engraved by Audran, which is sold at Chereau, rue Saint-Jacques. Sébastien le Clerc also engraved the same characters, in smaller size and in simple lines, in a small book of twenty sheets, which is sold at Joullain fils, Art merchant, quai de la Mégisserie.

On the study of draperies.

It is very important for the beauty of a figure that draperies are laid out naturally, and that the arrangement of the folds reflects the nature of the fabrics: thus one should, as much as possible, draw them from nature, and on a living model. However, since this model is subject to variation, and since the slightest movements can disturb, if not the general mass of the drapery, then at least the quantity of folds, and give them different forms at each moment; it follows that the draughtsman is obliged to lightly overlook a quantity of important small details, so as not to focus only on the play of the whole ensemble and the general effect, and that he compensates for the rest by working with imagination. This inconvenience is of great consequence, and it often results in great defects of truth in a drawing: because it

Translation Notes

"De l'étude des draperies" directly translates to "On the study of draperies." "Draperies" refers to the artistic technique of depicting fabric and clothes in art.