
Read the visual description
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.