Book Description

This handsome catalogue presents 267 European drawings and watercolors dating from the 16th through the early 20th centuries. Color reproductions of 73 of the Ackland’s most important Italian, Netherlandish, French, British, and German drawings are accompanied by 194 black-and-white reproductions and 35 supplemental images. Although the Ackland has not previously published its drawings, many of the works are already quite well known, including works by Luca Cambiaso, Pietro da Cortona, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, William Blake, Guilio Romano, Henry Fuseli, and Egon Shiele. Beginning with an overview of the history of the Ackland’s drawings collection, the catalogue examines the most significant works with full-page reproductions and essays that detail the scholarly issues relevant to each drawing, including questions of attribution, date, subject matter, and relationship to other studies or to known projects. In addition, 200 works are presented with thumbnail reproductions and brief commentary.