Leonardo to Matisse: Master Drawings

This exhibition will trace the development of European drawing from the Renaissance to the early 20th century through works by celebrated masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer, Rembrandt, Tiepolo, Ingres, Seurat, and Matisse. Fifty-five drawings from the Museum's acclaimed Robert Lehman Collection will present a dynamic array of styles, techniques, and genres—from panoramic landscapes and compositional studies for mythological and biblical narratives to arresting studies of the human form.

The selection will illustrate different facets of the artists' creative processes—from Leonardo's keen anatomical observation in his Study of a Bear, to Dürer's awakening self-consciousness as an artist in his Self-Portrait study, to Rembrandt's reinterpretation of Leonardo's painted masterpiece, The Last Supper. 

The exhibition will also be the first to explore Robert Lehman's significant activity as a 20th-century collector by highlighting the full range of his vast and distinguished drawings collection, which numbers more than 700 sheets. 

Text Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website 

IMAGE: A Gazelle in Profile, Moving Toward the Right, Circle of Michelino da Besozzo (Michelino de Mulinari) (Italian, Lombardy, active 1388–1450);  early 15th century;  Tip of the brush and brown, gray (both in various shades), and black ink; contours with metalpoint (?or black chalk?); touches of white chalk; brown and light brownish gray wash; on vellum.  3 9/16 x 4 3/16 in. (9.1 x 10.6 cm).  Robert Lehman Collection, 1975 ; 1975.1.402