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Getty Advisory — The Getty Villa is closed until further notice.
When is a drawing a finished work of art? In the 19th century, artists made large and ambitious “exhibition watercolors” for public display that could hold their own with oil paintings. For private collectors, they also made smaller works. And sometimes, artists made personal drawings for a friend or family member.
This exhibition celebrates highly finished drawings that explore rich uses of color and complex compositions. It features Getty-collection works by Edgar Degas, Gustav Klimt, Odilon Redon, Sarah Stone, and JMW Turner, among others.
This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.
Selected Works
Conway Castle, North Wales, 1798, Joseph Mallord William Turner. Watercolor with gum arabic over graphite. Getty Museum
A Couple Embracing in an Artist’s Studio, 1881, Eugène Louis Lami. Watercolor over traces of black chalk, with touches of white opaque watercolor. Getty Museum, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Simms in honor of John Walsh on the occasion of his retirement as Director
At the Circus: Entering the Ring, 1899, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Black and colored chalks. Getty Museum
Stonehenge-Twilight, about 1840, William Turner of Oxford. Watercolor. Getty Museum
Two Studies of a Seated Nude with Long Hair, about 1901–1902, Gustav Klimt. Black chalk, red pencil. Getty Museum
Riva degli Schiavoni, from near San Biagio, Venice, 1826, Richard Parkes Bonington. Watercolor over graphite, heightened with opaque watercolor. Getty Museum
A Trompe l’Oeil Collage, about 1890, Alfred Stevens. Watercolor. Getty Museum, Gift of Kate Ganz and Daniel Belin in Honor of Lee Hendrix
The Destruction of Pharaoh’s Host, 1836, John Martin. Watercolor and oil paint, with pen and brown ink and scraping out over black chalk. Getty Museum
Cock of the Rock (Rupicola rupicola), 1788, Sarah Stone. Watercolor over graphite. Getty Museum