Xenophon and the Greeks Sighting the Sea [verso] 

This drawing, "Xenophon and the Greeks Sighting the Sea," was made by Benjamin Robert Haydon, using pen and brown ink over graphite. The immediacy of the drawing style belies the labour that Haydon put into his art. Notice the sweeping lines of ink, which suggest a scene brimming with movement and emotion. The ink, likely iron gall, applied with a quill, has a directness to it – a stark contrast to the layers of labour and detailed planning behind the historical subject matter. The frantic quality of the line work and the marks on the paper imply the level of work and the intensity that Haydon invested into his paintings. Haydon saw himself as a standard bearer for history painting, which he felt should be elevated over what he considered the more commercial genres of portraiture and landscape. For Haydon, history painting was a vocation, a calling, and this deeply held conviction fueled the hours of labor and the thousands of drawings he produced in pursuit of his art. This drawing provides insight into the artist's process, revealing a commitment to his craft.