Neoclassicism to Early Modernism

In their drawings, the artists of the nineteenth century specifically addressed the history of the medium. Adopting a wide variety of past styles and themes, they developed new and individual forms, increasingly liberating their art from its purely depictive function. This exhibition addresses such aspects as copying from Old Masters, the role of contour and ornament, the scientific gaze and drawing from memory. Sketches, studies and finished drawings from the museum’s own collection illustrate the far-reaching potential of the medium. The selection spans a broad range from Neoclassicism and Romanticism (Fuseli, Carstens, Friedrich, Ingres and Delacroix) to the young Picasso.