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Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Through September 5
Exhibitions & Events
America’s 250th

Celebrating American art and artists
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Jephthah's Daughter

1780-1810

Benjamin West

Associated Names

Benjamin West

Artist, American, 1738 - 1820

This is a drawing featuring multiple figures in a historical setting. The figures are depicted in animated poses, interacting with each other. The attire of the figures suggests a classical or ancient theme with flowing robes and helmets. The background is lightly sketched, providing a sense of a terrain or environment. The use of shaded tones and outline drawings adds depth and movement to the scene.

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Artwork overview

Medium

pen and black ink, wash, and gouache on blue wove paper
Credit Line

Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Membership Association Fund)
Dimensions

sheet: 13.18 × 19.05 cm (5 3/16 × 7 1/2 in.)
Accession Number

2015.19.721.a

The image shows abstract lines forming two figures. One figure reaches upward while the other leans against them. The background is a textured blue surface with small, evenly spaced specks. The figures' flowing lines suggest movement. The composition conveys dynamic grace and is connected to the expressive motions of dance. — Study for "Jephthah's Daughter"

Benjamin West

1780

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(P. & D. Colnaghi and Co., London, England); Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1950; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1981

Early America on Paper: Prints and Drawings, 1750-1850, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1981

Bibliography

1983

Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 1, no. 1.

Wikidata ID

Q64537256

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