The purchase of Marc Arcis’ (1655-1739) small head of the prophet Elijah in terracotta helps demonstrate part of the creative process that was the basis for the monumental statues at the chapel of the Carmelite friars of Toulouse. At the church, you can see these monumental statues and savour their detail, power, and expressiveness. Arcis is the greatest Toulouse sculptor of his generation and this is why the museum continues to make acquisitions which document his work as effectively as possible.

Peyron (1744-1814) was one of the unfortunate rivals of David, for his talent rose sooner, but could not be revived after the Revolution. He was one of the first artists to paint friezes of scenes of ancient history on dark architecture backdrops. His paintings at the Musée des Augustins were admired by his contemporaries and Belisarius receiving hospitality from a peasant was copied by a young Ingres. Here is another painting by Peyron, Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi.

Sketch

It is a virtuous anecdote taken from Valère Maxime which tells how Cornelia asserts to a rich woman, who is showing Cornelia her own jewels, that her true wealth is her two children.

Final Painting

While the final painting is a solemn scene in muted tones, the sketch, the first step to a composition, is light and bright, gaining in delicacy what it loses in dramatic force. Searching for sketches of the museum’s masterpieces is one of the never-ending missions forming part of the museum acquisition policy. It is only meaningful if the sketches have a certain artistic value and show clear interest to the history of art. This small painting meets these two criteria to perfection.