Study of Man's Figure Stooping to Pick up an Object

Influenced by his master Simon Vouet, le Sueur made studies after live models to examine the pose of figures in his painted compositions. This lightly drawn sketch describes a young man who kneels next to a large jar or basket and reaches his hand to the ground to gather the unseen object that is the focus of his gaze. The figure's action suggests it is a study for a depiction of the Israelites in the desert gathering manna, a familiar subject in the work of le Sueur and his contemporaries.