Conversation Piece

In the pictureOn the left of a room drawn in gray pen lines and wash, a woman seated at a keyboard instrument with music open turns to look behind her. Beside her, a woman in a white dress sits in an armchair with her fingertips at her chin, looking up, and on the right a man with his hair tied back leans on the back of a chair, his face in profile. A small shaggy dog sits under the chair. The upper half is blank paper with only a few vertical lines suggesting a curtain; at bottom center is the signature 'Boilly,' and to its right a round collector's stamp.

BackgroundLouis Léopold Boilly (1761–1845) was born in La Bassée in northern France and worked in Paris, capturing the daily life of city people in small, meticulous pictures. This drawing is recorded as dating from 1789–93, the early years of the French Revolution, and it measures 18.7×14.9 cm. The conversation piece, which shows family or friends gathered as if in a natural moment, was a format that became very popular in 18th-century England. Since only the figures' poses and gazes are fixed in wash while the background is left blank, it is regarded as a study testing the composition for an oil painting. It was acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1911.

Puzzle tipWith gray as the only color, solve by the density of the wash. Fit the darkest areas first, the shadow under the keyboard instrument, the man's legs and the dark area under the chair, and the lower half falls into place. Next come the three faces, the white dress and the small dog. For the blank paper at the top, use the pieces crossed by the vertical curtain lines as guides, and fix the bottom line with the signature and stamp pieces. 24 or 48 pieces work well.