Three Beavers Building a Dam
c. 1800
Medium
Watercolor, pen and brown ink, and touches of black chalk, on cream laid paper, laid down on ivory laid paper, with a pieced overlapping border toned with brown watercolor
Dimensions
Primary support: 32.5 × 40.2 cm (12 13/16 × 15 7/8 in.); Sheet with border: 40.5 × 47.9 cm (16 × 18 7/8 in.)
Classification
prints and drawing
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
186414
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein experimented with animal physiognomy in many drawings. Inspired by the Swiss philosopher Johann Kaspar Lavater, the artist believed a person’s character depended on the animal he resembled. As Tischbein wrote in 1796, “I have undertaken another [series of drawings] in order to learn more about man. To make this study easier it is necessary to begin with beasts, since they are easier and their characters more evident.” Traditionally busy animals, these furry beav...
About the Artist
Wilhelm Tischbein · 1751–1829
Comment on works: History; Portraits; Landscapes; Genre; Mythology