Study of a Woman's Dress
probably c. 1820
Medium
graphite and black chalk heightened with white chalk on pink wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 28.1 × 21.3 cm (11 1/16 × 8 3/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
John Davis Hatch Collection, Avalon Fund
Accession Number
1982.4.5
Art Historical Context
John Vanderlyn’s *Study of a Woman’s Dress*, created around 1820, offers a rare glimpse into the working process of one of America’s earliest neoclassical painters. Best known for grand historical scenes such as *The Landing of Columbus*, Vanderlyn frequently traveled between the United States and Europe, absorbing the precise draftsmanship of French academic training. This intimate drawing captures the fluid folds and texture of fabric, likely a preparatory study for a larger portrait or figure composition. Executed in graphite and black chalk heightened with white chalk on pink wove paper, ...
About the Artist
John Vanderlyn · 1775–1852
Comment on works: Portraits, history