Charles Bargue is mostly remembered for his Cours de dessin, one of the most influential classical drawing courses conceived in collaboration with Jean-Leon Gerome. The course, published between 1866 and 1871 by Goupil & Cie, and composed of 197 lithographs printed as individual sheets, was to guide students from plaster casts to the study of great master drawings and finally to drawing from the living model.

Among the artists whose work is based on the study of Bargue's platework is Vincent van Gogh, who copied the complete set in 1880/1881, and (at least a part of it) again in 1890.

Although some sources suggest that Bargue was a student of Gerome, there is room for doubt. Bargue worked closely w...