Study of figures in oriental costumes French school, 18th century sanguine on laid paper 29 x 20 cm Sheet depicting a standing female figure, elegantly dressed and caught in the act of lifting a fan, flanked by a seated figure and accessory studies. The execution in sanguine is carried out with loose and continuous strokes, characterised by a fluid and calligraphic line that defines the forms with lightness and immediacy, favouring the elegance of the gesture and the overall decorative effect over a rigidly plastic construction. The attention to the costume, the rendering of the clothing and accessories, as well as the typology of the figures, recall the production of character and costume studies widespread in French and Franco-Flemish figurative culture between the end of the 17th and the first half of the 18th century. In this context, the sheet shows significant affinities with the works of Jan Baptist van Mour, particularly in the interest in figures in exotic dress and the elegant and descriptive rendering of postures, elements that are echoed in the famous cycles of life scenes and costumes produced by the artist during his activity in Constantinople.The quality of the sign, the ease of execution and the sensitivity to ornamental detail suggest an up-to-date hand in French rococo culture, with possible contacts with the milieu of artists such as Antoine Watteau, while maintaining a more specific interest in the typological definition of the characters.The paper support, a laid paper with the countermark "CAVOBERT", can be traced back to 18th-century French production and is fully consistent with the chronology and cultural scope of the drawing.