Monument to Buffon

This finely executed drawing represents an important sculptural monument to the famous French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon (1707-1788). He is shown at full length, dressed with a toga, like an ancient philosopher, and with his hair long and his chest bare. He is holding a tablet in his left hand and a stylus in his right one, noting the phenomena of nature. A terrestrial globe is at his side; at his feet lie a lion, a snake, a dog and a bunch of corals, which are meant to serve as symbols of the vegetal and animal realms. The fact that the figure is standing on a base is an unmistakable indication that the drawing indeed represents a piece of sculpture. The drawing is an extremely faithful record of the monument, which precisely renders contours, relief and of the fall of light and shadow on the statue.