Learning to Draw

Exhibition
Chalk sketch of a colonnade with various busts and statues; in the distance, a figure can be seen on the ground, sketching.

A Draftsman in the Capitoline Gallery (detail), about 1765, Hubert Robert. Red chalk. Getty Museum

Drawing is a skill, gained like any other through study and practice. Combining the movement of the hand with the dedication of the mind, drawing was considered the foundation of the arts of painting, sculpture, and architecture since the Renaissance. Proficiency in drawing was critical for exploring, inventing, and communicating ideas visually, but how was this foundational ability actually learned? This exhibition explores artistic training and the mastery of drawing in Europe from about 1550 to 1850.

This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.

Oct 21, 2025–Jan 25, 2026

Getty Center

Museum West Pavilion, Plaza Level

Free

All exhibitions are included in your free, timed-entry reservation to Getty. Reservations are available six weeks in advance. Please note, there is a fee for parking.

Plan your visit

Selected Works

  • A Draftsman in the Capitoline Gallery

    about 1765, Hubert Robert. Red chalk. Getty Museum

    Chalk sketch of a colonnade with various busts and statues; in the distance, a figure can be seen on the ground, sketching.

  • A Young Woman Drawing

    1799, Francesco Bartolozzi. Black and red chalks. Katrin Bellinger Collection

    Drawing of a woman dressed in late-18th-century dress seated at a table drawing.

  • Three Young Women Drawing at a Table

    about 1778, Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin. Black chalk with selective wetting, pen and grayish-brown ink. Getty Museum

    Black chalk drawing of two seated women at a table drawing on paper.

  • A Woman and a Child Making Lace

    January 21, 1629, Gerard ter Borch. Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over black chalk. Getty Museum. Purchased with funds provided by the Disegno Group

    Drawing in pen and brown ink of lady and child in 17th century Dutch dresses sitting in chairs, viewed from behind.

  • Life-Drawing Class

    about 1716-18, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Black and white chalks on blue paper. Katrin Bellinger Collection

    Black chalk drawing of a group of men, dressed in 18th-century clothing, in a drawing class with a standing nude male as their subject in the front left corner of the scene.

  • The Drawing Lesson

    about 1840s, Robert Léopold Leprince. Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash. Katrin Bellinger Collection

    Pen and brown ink drawing of a semi-circle of people seated with their heads down, drawing on paper.

  • Seated Young Man

    about 1619, Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri). Oiled charcoal heightened with white chalk on gray-brown paper. Getty Museum

    Black chalk drawing on gray-brown paper of a seated male figure who has dark hair and fabric covering his lap.

  • Female Nude

    about 1800, Pierre-Paul Prud’hon. Black and white chalks on blue paper. Getty Museum

    Chalk drawing on blue paper of a seated, nude female figure with her arm raised at her shoulder.

Contact

Media Contact: Sidney Kantono

For press inquiries related to this exhibition, please email skantono@getty.edu

Related Events

  1. Artist-at-Work: Figure Drawing

    Family

    Drawing of a figure sitting outdoors, sketching in front of a sculpture.

  2. Getty Drawing Days

    Family

    A man and a young girl lie on sand-colored travertine tiles pencil sketching figures on white sheets of paper.

Exhibition Resources