De Welsprekendheid 1703 - 1775

This is "De Welsprekendheid," or "Eloquence," a drawing by Louis Fabritius Dubourg, made with pen in gray ink and gray wash. Notice how Dubourg uses a predominantly monochromatic palette, creating subtle tonal variations that model the figure and landscape. The composition directs our gaze from the soft, shaded background to the central figure, who is depicted in three-quarter view, her gaze averted. The artist’s delicate rendering of the drapery that swathes her body and the subtle gradations of tone lend her a classical, statuesque quality. She holds the caduceus of Hermes, symbolising eloquence and commerce, attributes that align with the figure’s allegorical representation. The books act as both a support and symbolic props that allude to the classical education necessary for effective rhetoric. Note how Dubourg invites contemplation on the art of persuasion and the visual language through which it is constructed. The drawing, with its muted tones, subtly challenges the viewer to engage with the nuances of representation and meaning.