Light shines on ‘Master Drawings’

By Sherry Coven

For anyone who has an interest in the world of art, the phrase “Old Master paintings” automatically conjures names such as Raphael, de Vinci and Michelangelo. Less familiar, however, are the artists who have given us what are called “Old Master drawings.”

Through Jan. 31, the Palmer Museum of Art will have on display original works of these masters.

A master drawing, according to Patrick McGrady, curator at the museum, is “a drawing executed by a European artist — mostly from Italy, France, the Germanic countries, England, Spain, or the Netherlands and Belgium — from the 15th to 18th centuries.”

These artists, while less known because of, for example, gender, location or cultural bias, nevertheless achieved the same level of artistry as more well-known masters and often managed studios of other artists in order to execute all of the work that they, themselves, were commissioned to do.

The drawings, part of the Palmer’s growing permanent collection, are rarely seen by the public because of their delicate nature.

“The paper is usually a good quality rag paper because it was produced before wood pulp was used to produce paper, and thus, it’s acid-free. But over time, the drawings have been housed in acidic mattes and overexposed to light,” Rich Hall, preparatory for the Palmer, said. “Many of the prints are thin and fragile and require special handling.”

“For the majority of their lifetime here, they’re stored in total darkness in order to protect them from exposure to light,” McGrady said. “We regularly organize special exhibitions such as this — brief periods of display under relatively low light — so that our visitors can enjoy a portion of the museum’s collection that otherwise must remain in storage.”

Some of the pieces are finished products, but others were used as either templates or drafts for other projects.

“Malinconico’s ‘Jonah Thrown to the Whale’ represents the artist’s first thoughts for a composition,” McGrady said, while “Gabbiani’s studies for his ‘Presentation’ altarpiece shows us how the artist worked out the final design for a key figure in the ensuing painting, and the ‘Lantara’ and ‘Le Prince’ landscapes were no doubt intended to stand as finished works."

McGrady added the exhibition also includes studies specifically meant to be realized as prints — such Zimmermann’s sketches for stage design for the “The Marriage of Figaro.”

Unfamiliar artist names and their works likely are unfamiliar to those who see this rare exhibit, such as Aarnout ter Himpel’s dark and bold pen-and-ink piece “Forest Glade” and Simon-Mathurin Lantana’s haunting chalk “Storm over a Village on a Hill.” Upon close inspection, these drawings provide more than just aesthetic delight; they provide a study in the various styles of drawing. Some, such as ter Himpel, used more short, squiggly lines, while others, such as Zimmermann, clearly had an affinity for the more geometric and precise.

All, however, offer a kind of artistic honesty and provide a personal glimpse into what McGrady calls “the most intimate medium."

"Old Master Drawings" will be on display through Jan. 31 at the Palmer Museum of Art, University Park. Visit www.palmermuseum.psu.edu or call 865-7672 for more information.