Figures

Robert Frederick Blum's sketch studies two standing male figures rendered in economical line work. The drawing demonstrates the anatomical observation and gestural notation that characterized late-nineteenth-century illustration practice. Blum, a prominent American illustrator and painter, used such studies to develop his figure work for commercial commissions and fine art. This sheet reflects the working methods of illustrators who would soon pioneer visual storytelling in newspapers—establishing the sequential narrative techniques that defined early comic strips and the visual language of sequential art.