Drapery Study for "A Venus"
ca. 1868
Medium
Black and white chalk on brown paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 in. × 8 11/16 in. (33 × 22 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of James David Draper, from the Robert Isaacson Collection, 2019
Accession Number
2021.15.5
Art Historical Context
Albert Joseph Moore's *Drapery Study forA Venus"* (ca. 1868) offers a captivating glimpse into the meticulous preparatory process of this British artist, a key figure in the Aesthetic Movement. Active in the mid-19th century, drew inspiration from classical antiquity and Japanese aesthetics, creating harmonious compositions of idealized female figures draped in flowing fabrics. This intimate drawing, executed on brown paper with black and white chalk, served as a study for his painting *A Venus*, highlighting his obsession with ornamental beauty and "art for art's." The technique exemplifies ...