Drawing Closer
About
Drawing Closer invites us to consider how and why drawings were created, paying special attention to the materials they were made of and to the functions they served both in the artist’s studio and in the world outside it. Seven distinct but interrelated sections explore media and techniques such as pen, chalk, ink wash, and watercolor, as well as some of the traditional purposes of drawing, including observation, invention, preparation, and amusement.
This exhibition brings together 67 works from the RISD Museum’s remarkable collection of European drawings produced between the 1500s and the 1800s-some recently acquired, others never before exhibited. Drawing Closer is conceived as a guide to looking at these works from the perspectives of their makers while highlighting the breadth, depth, and variety of a living collection that is used today to teach and inspire students and visitors.
Jamie Gabbarelli
Prince Trust Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings, Art Institute of Chicago
Former Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, RISD Museum