Drawing of "Ghost Dance"
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
watercolor, gouache, and charcoal over graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 95.89 × 91.12 cm (37 3/4 × 35 7/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of the Women's Committee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art)
Accession Number
2015.19.2561
Art Historical Context
Robert Stackhouse's *Drawing of "Ghost Dance (1974) captivates with its ambitious scale—nearly 96 × 91 cm (37 3/4 × 35 7/8 in.)—on wove paper a format that elevates drawing from preparatory sketch to monumental statement. Created during the 1970s renaissance, when artists reclaimed the medium's potential for complexity and expression, this work layers graphite underdrawing with charcoal's bold, gestural marks, then watercolor and gouache for translucent color and opaque depth. These techniques create a richly textured surface, blending precision and spontaneity in a way that reflects postwar A...
About the Artist
Robert Stackhouse
Robert Stackhouse, born in 1942 in Bronxville, New York, moved to Polk County, Florida, in 1954 to live with his grandparents at Lundy’s Fish Camp in Auburndale. There, he graduated from Auburndale High School in 1960 and immersed himself in the rhythms of Lake Juliana, rowing, fishing, and observing snakes, alligators, and water moccasins—experiences that profoundly shaped his imagery of "Swimmer...