This is one of Thorvaldsen’s early drawings, perhaps from the time when he was still studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen. In that case, the motif might have its background in the collections of engravings in the possession of the Academy. In a stylistic sense, the figures are reminiscent of the tradition represented by Professor N.A. Abildgaard, the leading teacher in the Academy, and the sculptor Johannes Wiedewelt.
