Sketch of Three Women in a Mythical Landscape

This drawing by the French-born American sculptor Gaston Lachaise (1882-1935) was made during his early years spent on American soil, where New York became his second home. The delicate ink lines indicate silhouettes of female figures emerging from a dream-like landscape. The sketch’s lyrical atmosphere alludes to Lachaise’s penchant for French modern poetry, notably the poems of Charles Baudelaire. Like the French poet’s verses, so does Lachaise’s drawing allow for imagination by only lightly sketching the motif.