The featureless, schematic head, blocky shoulders, and cone-shaped fingers extending from a roughly articulated hand indicate that Louis Galloche prepared this drapery study using a poseable mannequin covered in a swath of fabric. Especially during the early phases of a project, mannequins and jointed models, known as lay figures, allowed artists to execute preparatory work without depending on human models.
Louis Galloche (French, 1670–1761), Drapery Study. Black, red, and white chalk on brown paper. Purchased on the Herzog Fund and as the gift of Margot Gordon and Marcello Aldega, 2001.7.