Sheet of Studies, Including for Reineke Fuchs; verso: Studies of Soldiers and of a Battle in a Wood
mid-19th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink; verso: pen and brown ink
Dimensions
sheet: 13 1/4 x 8 7/16 in. (33.7 x 21.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2011
Accession Number
2011.459a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This double-sided sheet of studies by Wilhelm von Kaulbach a prominent German painter and illustrator of the Romantic era, captures the artist's preparatory process in the mid-19th century. On the recto, sketches relate to his ambitious illustrations for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's *Reineke* (Reynard the Fox), satirical medieval fable. Kaulbach's intricate pen-and-brown-ink lines depict dynamic figures, horses, and expressive faces, showcasing his mastery of narrative detail and dramatic composition—hallmarks of his history-painting style influenced by the Nazarene movement's emphasis on clar...