Restout’s draftsmanship, while accomplished, displays the lighter and gentler manner associated with the mid- to late eighteenth century. While his contemporaries were developing this new style in smaller easel paintings focusing on erotic or lighthearted subject matter, Restout continued in the tradition of a serious history painter, focusing instead on religious commissions, ancient history, and mythology. Although a specific project related to these figure studies has not yet been identified, it is clear from their dramatic foreshortening and perspective that they were meant for a ceiling painting, altarpiece, or overdoor.

from Snay, The Epic and the Intimate: French Drawings from the John D. Reilly Collection (Notre Dame, 2011)