Works in Progress: European Drawings from the Zimmerli Collection

As both a manual skill to be acquired and a crucial element of the creative process, drawing was considered the most important aspect of artistic training for centuries.  Whether a young artist was an apprentice in a workshop or a promising student in an art academy, he or she could expect to spend most of the time drawing for the first few years.  Many artists carried this emphasis on drawing into their professional practices, creating numerous drawings to prepare works that would be executed in painting, sculpture, or print.  In 2017, the Zimmerli Art Museum acquired a rare early drawing by James Ensor (Belgian, 1860-1949) showing the young artist working to master the human figure, drawing from the live model as well as practicing specific forms through multiple, repeated renderings.  Featuring this new acquisition, Works in Progress presents a selection of drawings made to prepare compositions or study motifs that illuminate the central role of drawing in these artists’ practice. 

Organized by Christine Giviskos, Curator of Prints, Drawings, and European Art