Gravures néoclassiques d'après François-Gédéon Reverdin – Quand la copie devient modèle

Between 1805 and 1828 François-Gédéon Reverdin (*1772) published his "Cours complet d'études pour la figure." According to his biographers, it was "the work of a lifetime." Following the practice of a progressive knowledge (from anatomical details to the study of the entire figure), this "Cours" reflects the Napoleonic era, its heroes (ancient legendary, or real), and its great artists. Reverdin, trained in David's workshop, was a friend of Ingres, and met, among others, François Gérard and Anne-Louis Girodet. Their works inspired him to some of his most amazing drawings. They have in common the search for the ideal beauty which was the guiding principle for his drawing classes as Director of the School of drawing at the Société des Arts of Geneva.
The publication includes three studies on Reverdin's biography, as well as the aesthetic issues of his drawings and the engravings that were made from them. Moreover, the quality of the reproductions offers a rare and unique occasion to appreciate the technique of the "roulette" (also known as the "crayon manner"). This technique enabled the engravers to capture and render faithfully Reverdin's drawings. It reveals Reverdin, beyond his career as a teacher, as an author who gave to the art of copying the value of originals.