Two Roses
ca. 1810
Medium
Pen and gray ink, brush and gray wash, over black chalk
Dimensions
8 1/4 x 13 3/16 in. (21 x 33.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Renée Sacks Bequest, 2005
Accession Number
2005.237
Tags
Art Historical Context
Anne Vallayer-Coster's *Two Roses* (ca. 1810) is a delicate study in pen and gray ink, brush and gray wash over black chalk, measuring just 8¼ x 13⅜ inches. Created late in the artist's career, this drawing captures the subtle beauty of two roses with her signature precision, highlighting petals, stems, and leaves in nuanced shades of gray. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it reflects Vallayer-Coster's mastery monochrome techniques, which allowed her to emphasize form, texture, and light without the distraction of color. A leading French still-life pa...