The French term "Trois Crayons" (three chalks)
refers to a technique using black, red, and white
chalk together to achieve a wide range of values,
black being the darkest tone, red the middle tone,
and white the lightest.
This technique became especially celebrated
in the drawings of Antoine Watteau, but this
sheet is anexample by Watteau's mentor,
Charles de La Fosse.
Charles de La Fosse
(French, 1636-1716)
Detail from St. John the
Evangelist, about 1700-2
Black, red, and white
chalk on beige laid
paper, 42 x 26.2
centimeters