Album of 107 preparatory drawings to illustrate David Hume's "History of England"

David Hume|Henri-Félix-Emmanuel Philippoteaux

ca. 1853 · Graphite, brush and brown wash, gouache · Drawings and Prints

Philippoteaux was one of the most prominent artists of military subjects working in mid nineteenth-century France. This album contains preparatory drawings to illustrate a French edition of Scottish philosopher and historian David Hume’s "History of England." Covering a long historical range of English political subjects, Philippoteaux’s preliminary drawings highlight his fine draftsmanship and close attention to period details. In the 1860s, Philippoteaux began to produce large-scale panoramas of warfare; these immersive tableaux were intended to reproduce the sights and sensations of battle. This album offers a glimpse into the artist’s earlier interest in historic warfare, as well as his approach to narrative illustration on a smaller scale.

Artist

David Hume|Henri-Félix-Emmanuel Philippoteaux

Date

ca. 1853

Medium

Graphite, brush and brown wash, gouache

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Christie's Inc. Gift, 2018