Benouville first exhibited at the Salon in 1838, after studying under Picot, and he remained true to the academic tradition throughout his life. In 1845 he won the Prix de Rome. In 1852, after his return from Rome, he began submitting anecdotal history pieces and religious paintings to the Salons. He collaborated with Amaury Duval on the decoration of the church of Saint-Germaine-en-Laye.

The academic style of this drawing sets it apart from the other chalk studies by Benouville in the Fodor Collection, all of which are more sketchy and are on a different type of paper. The purpose of this Raphaelesque drawing is unclear, for it fits no known work by the artist. The fact that the model appears to be an Italian youth would suggest a dating between 1846 and 1851, when Benouville was living in Rome. ( Wiepke Loos)