GREGÓRIO FRANCISCO DE QUEIRÓS - 1768-1845 Study of a hand on a female breast charcoal and chalk drawing on paper signed and dated 1780 (?) Dimensões (altura x comprimento x largura) - 27,5 x 21 cm Notes: "The doubt in deciphering the last digit of the date - which appears to be 1780 or 1784 - does not prevent this sheet from being considered as the oldest schoolwork that was kept by the important engraver Gregório Francisco de Queiroz (1768-1845) - one of the openers of metal plates that gave the art of engraving the biggest name in our country, in the words of Ernesto Soares - then only 12 or 16 years old, depending on the interpretation of the date.  The artist's biography tells us that these years correspond to his entry as an apprentice in the Engraving Class of Royal Engraving (1781-87), where he was a disciple of Joaquim Carneiro da Silva who was also in charge of teaching the fundamentals of Drawing to his pupils. As was usual in the education system followed in the 18th century, students started in the first years of learning Drawing by copying engravings before moving on to plaster copying.
In the case of this sheet, we must be faced with an engraving copy exercise.
In the MNAA (National Museum of Ancient Art) Design collection there are some more studies from the initial learning phase of this engraver, although this is apparently the most old that we are aware of." Lisbon, November 18, 2019 Alexandra Gomes Markl