Flying Figure Holding a Crown, Reclining River God

In this dynamic black chalk drawing, a powerful, muscular figure, traditionally identified as a river god, reclines in the foreground, his form rendered with a striking sense of three-dimensional volume. Above him, a winged figure, possibly a personification of Fame or Victory, hovers, holding a crown aloft. The swift, confident lines suggest the artist's early training, capturing both the anatomical detail of the figures and the dramatic interplay of light and shadow. This study, created when the artist was just twelve years old, reflects the academic emphasis on drawing from classical sculpture and live models, a foundational practice in the Neoclassical style that would define much of his later work. The composition's energy and heroic subject matter hint at the grand historical narratives he would later champion.