Alexandre-François Desportes (1661-1743) Studies of a Swan. Black, red and white chalk on light-brown paper, 226 x 332 mm Folkestone Museum (Master Collection) F.3644.26 Desportes has written himself helpful notes about colour. Below the swan’s foot he has written in French ‘les pates noire grisatre’, meaning ‘the feet greyish black’. On the top left he has written about the colour of the swan’s head and neck. Colour notes like these helped his assistants recreate images of animals with vivid realism.
