Exhibition | M.A. in Art History Presents

Image Description

Completed in red chalk with white chalk highlights, this vertical drawing depicts the statue of a standing male écorché—a term derived from the French term for ‘flayed’—on a pedestal. The statue is in contrapposto stance with his left arm raised above his head. In line with the principle of the écorché, the figure’s musculature and veins are visible, as if the skin had been removed. The head of the statue, turned to the right, is bald, with sharp facial features and an outward facing gaze. His arms, torso and legs reveal detailed musculature, with the left triceps, abdominals, and leg muscles all particularly pronounced. The statue’s right hand rests on a truncated tree trunk that helps support his weight. The figure is placed at the center of the paper, without any background to situate the scene. The corners of the paper show some brown spots and other signs of age.

**Giuseppe Cornienti**
(Italian, 1797–ca. 1870)

*An Écorché*

19th century

Red and white chalk with wash on paper

Inscribed on recto, base of figure: Giuseppe Cornienti / 18…1825; embossed collector’s mark, lower left (L.1143); inscribed on verso, lower left: Giuseppe Cornienti S; pad stamped on verso, center: Damiano Muoni / Libri, Disegni, Stampe, Ritratti / Pergamene, Manescritti, Autografi

18 x 10 3/8 in. (45.7 x 26.3 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.075

Image Description

This horizontal drawing shows a scene of many people assembled in a semi-circle around a mummy laying on a sarcophagus of sorts, itself resting on two trestles. A man in profile speaks out to the crowd from the foreground of the scene. The man has wild hair which points upwards, dark rimmed glasses, a long overcoat, and slacks. He appears to be teaching about the mummy. The mummy wears on its head a stylized version of a Pharos nemes, while bandages are wrapped around its body. The sarcophagus has writing on it that mimics hieroglyphics. The crowd is comprised of women, men, and children. All the members of the crowd have different facial expressions, some are caricatural, and some are drawn with less details. Of those whose physical attributes are clear, the crowd seems to be comprised of people who are fashionably dressed. The crowd is layered, with those closest to the mummy seated with many people standing behind them. However, we do not see their bodies, but rather the mass of people that takes on a cohesive form. While the setting is suggestive of a group lecture hall, there are no background details behind the group to indicate where this demonstration is taking place. Along the bottom edge of the drawing is an inscription that reads “A substitute for a picnic on a wet day.”

**William Makepeace Thackeray**
(British, 1811–1863)

*Demonstration with Mummy*

19th century

Graphite and pen with brown ink, on paper mounted on board

Inscribed on recto, lower left: A substitute for a picnic on a wet day

7 1/8 x 10 1/4 in. (18.1 x 26 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.068

Though best remembered for his written works, Thackeray was also a prolific illustrator, and his penchant for the satirical carried through into his artistry, as it does in this drawing of a mummy demonstration. Here, scientific inquiry is reduced to the stuff of theater. The figure of the mummy smiles passively while the well-dressed audience—including Thackeray, identifiable by his round spectacles—looks on with mild interest. The presenter, meanwhile, appears more “mad scientist” than academic. An inscription in the lower left corner reads “a substitute for a picnic on a wet day.” By humorously comparing the proceedings to the more conventional pastime of picnicking, Thackeray alludes to the manner in which mummy dissections had become yet another means of engaging in the performative leisure of the upper class.

Elizabeth Wickersham

Image Description

This vertically oriented red chalk drawing is squared for transfer, with the grid pattern visible throughout the work. Its central figure is a nude, bearded man who is visibly in agony. His twisted, contorted body writhes in pain as his left arm reaches upwards, with his mouth open and eyes closed. An angel, who swoops down from the work’s right-hand corner, supports the central figure’s head and rest one hand on his right shoulder. The angel is casting a sideways gaze to a putto and an unidentifiable series of red chalk lines in the work’s left corner. Three men are visible on the left, their heads at the level of the torso of the main figure. Arranged in a slightly diagonal line they suggest a recession of space. Their bodies blend into one another, though their facial features, such as beards and noses, distinguish them as individuals. The outstretched arms of the foremost figure in the grouping of three strains his muscular arm as he pulls the main figure’s left leg towards him, holding a knife and stabbing the saint’s left thigh. Below the group of three men is a fourth figure who is crouched. His contorted body aligns with the central figure’s bent knee, calf and foot. His muscular back is visible to us, though there is the suggestion of drapery slinged across his left shoulder and across his lower body. On the other side of the central figure, on the right side of the work, a final figure dressed in Roman military garb twists his body to look at the pained central figure. His helmet obstructs our view of his face though his body appears to be in motion as if he is rushing into the scene.

**Attributed to Guillaume Courtois**
(French, 1628–1679)
**formerly attributed to Domenico Zampieri, known as Domenichino**
(Italian, 1581–1641)

*Study for the Martyrdom of St. Andrew*

17th century

Red chalk on gray paper mounted on cardboard, squared for transfer

15 3/8 x 10 5/8 in. (39 x 27.1 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.036

Image Description

Set on blue paper, this vertical composition features Christ as he is taken down from the cross. His body is bare other than a drapery around his waist. His arms are outstretched, with a slight bend at the elbow, and his lower body rests on a large rock with his legs bent. His right foot is crossed behind his left foot and is not visible. Only the vertical part of the cross is visible and helps divide the scene into two groupings on the left- and right-hand sides of Christ. On Christ’s left-hand side, an angel with large, feathered wings, halo, and sweeping draperies holds his hand, helping to prop it up. The angel is assisted by a heavily draped and haloed figure who holds his torso upright, looking down on him with a mournful expression. Between them is a male figure with a barely visible halo, who turns his body to look at Christ. On Christ’s left-hand side are five figures. Two heavily draped women look down on his body, though they do not touch it. Behind them is a heavily shadowed figure with a small, white halo. Mirroring the pose and drapery of the other angel, Christ’s left hand is likewise being held and supported by an angel whose feathering wings are cut off by the paper’s border and mounting. Below them, grasping hold of Christ’s legs and foot, is a crouched woman with flowing drapery and a halo. She stares at his leg as her left hand delicately holds his left foot. In front of the group of figures is a decorative jar, placed right before Christ’s feet and on his right a pile of crumpled fabric, and large, metal objects. Behind the group of figures, we see the outline of the cross which symmetrically divides mountains, sky, and puffy clouds. The work is bordered by a thin strip of gold.

**Attributed to Ventura Salimbeni**
(Italian, 1568–1613)

*The Deposition*

Late 16th/early 17th century

Pen and ink wash heightened with white, on blue paper mounted on cardboard

Inscribed on mount, bottom center: Salimbeni; stamped on lower right: RU

Mount: 13 3/8 X 10 1/2 in. (34 x 26.5 cm);
image: 7 1/8 x 5 7/16 in. (18.1 x 13.8 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.064

In this crucial biblical scene, Christ has fulfilled the prophecies of his sacrificial death. His body rests limply at the center of the composition, surrounded by mourners and angels. The artist has omitted the top of the cross, instead echoing its shape through Christ’s body. A prolific fresco painter originally from Siena, Ventura Salimbeni, to whom this drawing is currently attributed, often composed biblical scenes on a monumental scale; however, there are no surviving frescos that relate to this highly finished drawing. Blue paper, typical of Venice, is unusual to Salimbeni’s oeuvre. A cheaper, rougher support made by pulping scraps of blue textiles, it was more commonly used for figure studies in chalk than for full compositions in ink, making this drawing quite unusual for this period.

Ava Mira Robles

Image Description

Captured in pen, black ink and gray wash with bold white highlights, this horizontal scene opens before us like a play on a stage. On the right, three men dressed in ancient Roman military clothing and sandals are embroiled in a fight. The one on the left holds a dagger above his head, while leaning forward onto a younger man whose neck and back are visible as he falls forward, his helmet already on the ground. The third man, at right, reaches out with his dagger, piercing the fallen youth in the back. To the left, three women explode with surprise and terror at the scene. The one furthest to the left and closest to the foreground is young and flails her arms above her head, knocking down the chair she was presumably seated on as she gasps with shock. Behind her is a long table parallel to the picture plane, covered with a tablecloth. A pile of coins and a scale are placed at the center of the table. The two other women are standing behind the table. The one on the right grasps the other’s left shoulder, who, in turn, raises her right arm as they both stare at the scene in front of them. The scene takes place in a room with two large Romanesque arches flanking a central entrance, where another scene, involving a figure and trees, is roughly sketched. Through the arches, we can make out trees and rocks.

**Unidentified artist, formerly attributed to Arnold Houbraken**
(Dutch, 1660–1719),
**formerly attributed to Karel van Mander**
(Dutch, 1548–1606)

*Historic Scene*

17th/18th century

Pen and black ink with pencil and gray wash heightened with white, on beige paper

Inscribed on verso: Carel van Mander 1548–1606/ F6762; stamped on lower right: FREUND; on bottom left: JB

6 1/4 x 8 3/4 in. (15.9 x 22.3 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.050

Once considered an illustration from Homer’s Odyssey but more likely a scene from Roman history, the narrative of this drawing centers around the connection between the scandalized women and the heated brawl between the armed soldiers. Formerly attributed to van Mander, then to Houbraken, the work does not demonstrate the command expected of these artists. Imperfections in the perspective and white highlighting suggest instead the work of a student, seeking to exhibit an academic approach to historic subjects. There are two collectors’ marks: Wilhelm Alexander Freund’s (visible), and Josef Beitscher’s (visible only through transmitted light). Both were avid collectors of works on paper in Berlin during the early twentieth century. This energetic scene leads the viewer to interrogate the relationships and emotions of the characters depicted.

Charlotte Santo Domingo

Image Description

Five adults and a baby drawn in pen and brown ink wash occupy a shallow indoor space. They face each other in conversation, though we see them straight on. The two figures on the left are women; they are standing and speaking with one another. In front of them is a muscular man in a draped tunic with one bare arm and leg visible. Shown in profile, he is holding a small goat by the legs as he rests his bare knee on a slightly raised platform where the other two adults and the baby are situated. The baby is breastfeeding from a kneeling woman who holds him as he feeds, his lower body resting on a square structure in front of them. Meanwhile, the woman looks at the man with the goat. She is wearing several layers of draped fabric which flow backwards as though they are caught in a breeze, and leans on the structure where the baby rests. On the far right is an older man, standing. His legs and hands are crossed as he leans on a staff. He casts a small shadow behind him and looks down. Behind the woman and older man are two cows, one of which looks at the baby while the other, with its mouth opened, appears to be looking outside through a window to its right. Through the window we can see a flock of sheep and shepherd assembled by a tree on a hill, with vegetation and sky. There are jagged rocks, which contrast with the soft curving lines of the sheep. The sky above them has strong white outlines, which suggest either light or clouds. This background scene is rapidly sketched, such that we do not see distinguishing features of the sheep or shepherd. The window casts a faint light into the room.

**Studio of the Carracci, formerly attributed to Lodovico Carracci**
(Italian, 1555–1619)

*The Adoration of the Shepherds*

Late 16th/early 17th century

Pen and brown ink with brown wash and black chalk underdrawing heightened with white, on paper mounted on cardboard

Inscribed on mount, lower left: Ludovico Carracci; verso on mount: From Sir. Robt. Strange’s Coll.; verso on mount, lower left: 1594; verso on mount, lower right: Bologna XVI / UZL

Sheet: 10 13/16 x 10 1/4 in. (27.5 x 26 cm);
image: 9 1/8 x 8 5/8 in. (23.2 x 22 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.035

In this biblical scene from Luke’s Gospel, a shepherd, kneeling in adoration before a nursing Christ Child, holds a bound lamb symbolizing Christ’s future sacrifice. Formerly attributed to Lodovico Carracci, this drawing contains elements that are reminiscent of his oeuvre, including the facial types of the women standing at left, and the nature of relationship of the Virgin to Christ (physically close, but resisting emotional intimacy, as Babbette Bohn has observed in other drawings by the artist). However, this drawing falls short of Lodovico’s mastery, as evident in the unrefined heads of the animals. More likely, it was produced by a member of the studio of the Carracci, who, as progenitors of the Baroque movement and through their establishment of an artistic training academy in Bologna, influenced an entire generation of artists.

Sophia Dime

Image Description

This horizontal scene in brown wash shows different Roman monuments from below, at a distance, including most prominently Castel Sant’Angelo. The castle is elevated on a cylindrical mount, with its pointed roof over classic Roman architectural façade, and has a larger rectangular complex behind it. On the top of the castle stands a large flagpole, with the suggestion of a flag waving and three ropes holding it in place. On either side of the raised hill where the Castel is located are houses and foliage, which appear small in comparison to the large Castel. On the right we see a Roman style temple, with six columns in front and large statues on the roof. In the foreground are trees and water captured in thick, inky wash without gradation, such that one form blends into the next. The sky is likewise made with wash, looking as if it were made of two or three swipes of a drenched brush.

**Unidentified artist, formerly attributed to J. M. W. Turner**
(British, 1775–1851)

*Castel Sant'Angelo*

18th century?

Pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper

Inscribed on recto, center bottom: Castel Sant'Angelo; on lower right: JMW Turner / Liber Study

Sheet: 10 x 13 in. (25.3 x 33 cm);
image: 4 3/4 x 8 1/4 in. (11.9 x 20.9 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.093

This pen-and-ink drawing depicts Castel Sant’Angelo among trees and edifices, including a generic ancient temple, with oversized statues standing atop its pediment. Built in A.D. 135 as Emperor Hadrian’s mausoleum and, later, a known Roman landmark, the Castel has been portrayed by many artists who captured its changing silhouette across the ages. Inscriptions indicate the drawing’s relationship to Turner’s Liber Studiorum (1807–1819); however, the celebrated print series does not include a view of Rome or the Castel. Furthermore, comparative close looking reveals the style of another artist, currently unidentified, working with speed, simple brushwork, and ink washes deprived of gradation. Downplaying accuracy and detail, the capriccio-like work showcases compositional imagination. This attempt to evoke the Roman cityscape, combined with the fact that the paper is laid, suggests an eighteenth-century creation.

Yiming (Emily) Liu

Image Description

Mounted on paper and cardboard, this distant view of the Klosterneuburg Monastery is drawn in tight pen and black ink lines. The monastery is placed within a landscape that occupies the foreground of the composition. Puffy trees and bushes are dotted across a grassy field, with a wooden fence cutting across the work horizontally about a third of the way from the bottom of the horizontally oriented work. The fence ends abruptly, revealing more grassy planes, and picks up again in the distance of the work to the far right of the drawing. A twisting, dirt road leads the eye, as it would a visitor, to the monastery itself which stands tall and palatial against the bucolic landscape. The monastery has symmetrical fenestration and four towers, each with a different type of dome. Its roof is suggested through gentle shading of brown chalk. On the right of the work is a river and the faded outline of hills and fields.

**Jean-Baptiste Isabey**
(French, 1767–1855)

*Klosterneuburg Monastery (Abbaye de Klosterneuburg)*

July 25, 1812

Pen and black ink and brown chalk on paper, mounted on paper and cardboard

Signed in ink on lower right: J Isabey; inscribed on lower left: Vienne le 25 juillet 1812; inscribed in pencil on lower center of mount: Abbaye de Klosterneuburg

Sheet: 7 3/8 x 9 1/4 in. (18.7 x 23.4 cm);
image: 5 3/4 x 7 5/8 in. (14.5 x 19.4 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.051

Research conducted in 2019 by Mateusz Mayer, PhD candidate in art history at Columbia, suggests that Isabey madethis drawing as a study for an etching or engraving, although no such print has yet been identified. The drawing depicts Klosterneuburg Monastery near Vienna when it was undergoing dramatic renovation. Originally founded in the early twelfth century, the monastery was renovated starting in the mid-eighteenth century for the purpose of transforming it into the Austrian equivalent of El Escorial in Spain, with a residential wing for the Austrian Habsburgs. Set in a picturesque landscape with the Danube River on the right, the building is depicted in its unfinished state. In particular, the two majestic church towers do not yet show their late nineteenth-century Gothic-revival renovation.

Image Description

This vertically oriented drawing shows a peasant from the back, sitting on the ground in an indistinct location. His coat, showing many folds, is slightly tattered and bulky. He also wears a large floppy hat, whose wide brim hides his neck, though we can see the suggestion of shoulder length hair beneath. His right leg stretches out toward us, revealing a knee-length sock and laced boot. He holds a long staff under his right arm, which rests on his lap and stretches out in front of him. His body casts a small shadow at left. Though we cannot see a clear articulation of the space he is in, there are faint lines in the distance which resemble bushes, as well as faint lines on the left which suggest a rock formation, implying that he is in nature.

**Francesco Londonio**
(Italian, 1723–1783)

*A Seated Youth in a Floppy Hat*

18th century

Brush and black ink with gray wash on paper

Inscribed on verso: Francesco Londonio / Milan / 1723–1783; on lower verso: I 915

Mount: 11 3/8 x 9 1/2 in. (28.9 x 24.7 cm);
image: 9 5/16 x 7 1/8 in. (23.7 x 18.3 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.054

A Seated Youth in a Floppy Hat epitomizes one of Londonio’s favorite subjects: peasants. The prolific Milanese printmaker, best known for his pastoral scenes, enjoyed the patronage of Northern Italian elite collectors. Similar to Londonio’s Head of a Cow also included in the exhibition, this drawing was probably executed as a preparatory study for an etching, although to date no corresponding print has been found. The drawing features a young shepherd seen from behind. The focus is on his shepherd outfit—a loose coat and a large hat, represented through hatchings and the reserve of the paper. A stick by his side, the young man sits on the ground, gazing into the distance. Unlike in Head of a Cow, a rock formation and small bush evoke his rural environment. While the theme is typical of Londonio, the use of ink is relatively rare in the artist’s drawn oeuvre.

Lingxuan (Cindy) Liu

Image Description

Drawn in black chalk with gray wash and white highlights on light gray prepared paper, a cow’s head floats, unconnected to a body or scenery. This study positions us to the right of the cow so that we see only its left eye and left side of its face. The large eye, with fine eyelashes, stares out and glistens against the fainter lines of the rest of the head. The cow has two small horns next to its ears. The left one is cut off at the top of the paper so that we cannot see the full point. The articulation of muscle and fur suggest the softness of the coat, and bulk of the form.

**Francesco Londonio**
(Italian, 1723–1783)

*Head of a Cow*

18th century

Black chalk and gray wash heightened with white, on gray prepared paper

Inscribed on verso: Francesco Londonio 1723–1781

13 9/16 x 16 11/16 in. (34.4 x 42.5 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.053

Head of a Cow epitomizes one of Londonio’s favorite subjects: farm animals. The prolific Milanese printmaker, best known for his pastoral scenes, enjoyed the patronage of Northern Italian elite collectors. Similar to Londonio’s A Seated Young in a Floppy Hat also included in the exhibition, this drawing was probably executed as a preparatory study for an etching, although to date no corresponding print has been found. As its title suggests, Head of a Cow portrays an isolated cow head, drawn on a relatively large piece of prepared paper. The animal’s features are delicately captured, including her eyelashes, rendered through fine chalk lines and white highlights. Overall, the drawing displays a high degree of observation of the cow’s physiognomy, from the skillfully articulated topography of her cheek to the thin, soft quality of the hair on her muzzle and forehead.

Lingxuan (Cindy) Liu

Image Description

Three precisely painted sheep with large curling horns and long white and brown coats stand in a semi-circle and face us in this horizontal watercolor. The sheep are behind a chipped, grey-stone water trough, which fills the entire foreground obstructing our view of their lower bodies. Each sheep stares with large, gleaming eyes. Behind the sheep are ill-defined trees and vegetation, with a spot of vibrant blue sky in the top left corner. The fuzziness of the background contrasts with the sharply defined sheep and water trough. The sheep on the left stares in profile with his mouth closed. The central sheep, who stands slightly taller than the other two, stares straight at us. The rightmost sheep is also in profile with his mouth slightly agape. In all capital, block letters at the bottom left-hand corner is the monogram of an artist, which reads A.V.V.F.

**Unidentified artist, formerly attributed to Jan Stolker**
(Dutch, 1724–1785)

*Madagascar Sheep*

18th century

Watercolor on paper

Inscribed on recto, lower left: A.V.V.F.; on verso: Schaapen Ras van Madagascar / J. Stolker / Hoog 9. Breet 10 3/4 / No. 17 / D 525 LVA

9 1/16 x 10 15/16 in. (23.1 x 27.7 cm)

Acc. no. 1990.08.066

This watercolor, formerly attributed to the eighteenth-century Dutch artist Jan Stolker, depicts three charismatic sheep around a chipped stone water trough. The actual artist, currently unidentified, must have been an expert watercolorist, as the crisp articulation of the sheep is achieved through layered watercolor, creating an opaque rather than translucent finish. The mysterious title Madagascar Sheep may refer to sheep headed from Spain as trading goods to the island off the southeast coast of Africa, and does not refer to the breed depicted. The artist was likely working within the Dutch-Italianate School, an informal group of artists who placed Dutch subjects such as domesticated animals in Italian-style landscapes. This dynamic, semi-circular composition situates the viewer at eye level with the individualized sheep, encouraging us to convene with them.

Lucie Schwartz