This is a drawing of a ceremonial scene in a grand architectural setting. The drawing depicts an interior with large, ornate columns reminiscent of classical Roman or Greek architecture. The ceiling has intricate designs and a circular arrangement of decorative panels. In the foreground and mid-ground, there is a gathering around an altar or pedestal, upon which a flame burns. Several figures, robed in flowing garments, are gathered around this central point, possibly in the midst of a ritual involving offerings. The figures are holding various objects, including what looks to be a dish. The space feels grand and solemn, with an emphasis on tradition and ritual. The shading and linework suggest careful attention to detail and capture the grandeur of both the figures and the architecture surrounding them.
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This is a drawing of a ceremonial scene in a grand architectural setting. The drawing depicts an interior with large, ornate columns reminiscent of classical Roman or Greek architecture. The ceiling has intricate designs and a circular arrangement of decorative panels. In the foreground and mid-ground, there is a gathering around an altar or pedestal, upon which a flame burns. Several figures, robed in flowing garments, are gathered around this central point, possibly in the midst of a ritual involving offerings. The figures are holding various objects, including what looks to be a dish. The space feels grand and solemn, with an emphasis on tradition and ritual. The shading and linework suggest careful attention to detail and capture the grandeur of both the figures and the architecture surrounding them.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

An Ancient Sacrifice

Clément-Pierre Marillier

Date
c. 1800
Medium
pen and black ink with gray wash, heightened with white, on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 29.1 x 22.3 cm (11 7/16 x 8 3/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1992.61.1
Credit line
Gift of Ivan E. Phillips in memory of Jacqueline Getty Phillips
Time span
1776 to 1800
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • French
  • classical
  • secular
Provenance

Private collection (sale, New York, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 3 June 1980, no. 17, as Jean-Jacques François Le Barbier); to Ivan E. Phillips, Bedford, NY; gift to NGA, 1992.

Inscription

by later hand, lower left verso in graphite: 5712; by later hand, center center verso in graphite: ON-UN

NGA object ID 75151. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.