A detailed graphite and wash drawing by Charles-Nicolas Cochin documenting the 1746 funeral ceremony for the Dauphine of France at Nôtre Dame.

This drawing by Charles-Nicolas Cochin depicts the elaborate funeral ceremony held for Marie-Thérèse of Spain, the Dauphine of France, within the nave of Nôtre Dame in Paris. Executed in 1746, the work captures the ephemeral architecture constructed for the occasion, a common practice for royal obsequies during the eighteenth century. Cochin, a draughtsman and engraver, possessed a precise ability to document the spatial arrangement of such events.

The composition focuses on the catafalque, a temporary structure designed to support the coffin, which stands as the central element of the scene. Surrounding this are heavy draperies suspended from the vaulted ceiling, creating a sense of verticality and enclosure. The artist employs a monochromatic wash technique to suggest the play of light from numerous candles and the shadows cast by the Gothic architecture of the cathedral. The lower portion of the image shows the gathered mourners, rendered with delicate, small-scale strokes that provide a sense of scale to the vast interior.

Cochin was frequently commissioned by the French court to record official ceremonies, festivities, and royal events. His work provides a visual record of the aesthetic preferences of the period, particularly the transition from the heavy ornamentation of the earlier century toward the lighter, more balanced forms associated with the Rococo. The drawing demonstrates his technical proficiency in perspective and his capacity to manage complex architectural details without sacrificing the atmospheric quality of the interior space. This piece serves as a document of both the artistic output of the period and the ceremonial life of the French monarchy.