Hubert François Gravelot

This design is one of four preparatory drawings by Gravelot in the Morgan's collection intended for an engraved frontispiece executed by Jean Charles Le Vasseur for Henri Panckoucke's "Lettre de don Carlos à Elisabeth" (Paris : Panckoucke et Veuve Duchesne, 1768). This sheet is a transfer drawing of the composition found in 1968.15:1, with a few additional lines in graphite. Don Carlos is shown standing beside a table as the guards enter at left to take him to his execution; he holds up a miniature portrait in one hand and his other hand rests on the table top, gripping a letter. Of the four studies, two (1968.15:3-4) are closer to Le Vasseur's engraving and show Don Carlos seated at a table while he is seen standing in the other two sketches (1968.15:1-2). This suggests that the latter two may represent an earlier idea for this composition.