Cruel folly (preparatory drawing)

Preparatory drawing for Cruel Folly. It presents many differences with respect to the composition of the print.

The man advancing with a club and attacking a man in a fury is depicted here wearing a headscarf and armed with a rifle or musket. In the background is a sentry box, which Gassier interprets as a sentry chasing away a group of beggars. In turn, the fallen man is not under his legs but in the centre of the composition, assisted by the rest of the figures, some of whom, however, are in the same pose as in the engraving, such as the one with his back turned and the one with his legs open. The background with the ruined wall or rampart is not yet present, with only the sentry box and a shadow suggesting a mound.

The drama in the print is greater than in this sketch, as in it the main action has been brought to the foreground, leaving behind the middle ground of the preparatory drawing. This greater drama is also achieved by depicting the climax of the action, as the drawing depicts the moment after the attack.