Sketches of Classical or Biblical Figures 1822 - 1885

Rodolphe Bresdin made this pen and brown ink drawing, "Sketches of Classical or Biblical Figures" in nineteenth-century France. Bresdin's work is often associated with the Symbolist movement, which favored imagination over realism. The jumbled figures in this drawing seem to come from different times and places; some are dressed in classical garb, others in what appear to be biblical robes. The cultural references are broad and perhaps non-specific. The absence of a clear narrative encourages the viewer to create their own interpretation. Rodolphe Bresdin operated outside the official Salon system, and so had little institutional support. Many artists like Bresdin questioned the social structures of their time through their art. We can use archival sources, such as letters and exhibition reviews, to better understand the social context in which Bresdin was working and to fully appreciate his critique of established artistic norms.