Male Figure
1776. White chalk, Red chalk on dark toned paper.Not on display
This is a preparatory drawing for a male figure for the fresco Predication of Saint Eugene in the cloister of Toledo Cathedral, painted in 1776. Two preparatory sketches for the fresco are extant: one kept in Toledo Cathedral and the other in the Ena Collection in Zaragoza. The figure is depicted standing and wearing a large cloak. His chin is resting on his left hand, showing a reflective or worried attitude. The study of the figure is very thorough. The compositions in the Toledo cloister constitute the most important series of the artist’s mural paintings and reveal the influences on his training of González Velázquez, Corrado Giaquinto and Mengs. At the same time, there are also some distant echoes of Luca Giordano.
Arnáez, Rocío, Catálogo de Dibujos II. Dibujos españoles siglo XVIII. A-B, Madrid, 1975, p.57
