Provenance

Private Collection, England

Explore selected works

See all 17 works of art
From our place on a dirt road, a row of buildings and houses extends from the right edge of this painting, into the distance and to our left in this vertical composition. People, all with light skin, come and go through doorways and hatches, work unloading goods next to a horse, and gather under a tattered awning down the road. Most of the people wear hats and dark clothing in tones of brown, black, and golden yellow, with a few touches of brick red. A jumble of objects, including a barrel, a wooden trap, and a ceramic vessel, and some chickens are gathered in the lower right corner of the panel, closest to us. A boy holding a long-necked vessel stands at an open hatch leading to an underground level of the structure nearby. That building has a large, steeply pitched, thatched dormer on a red tile roof. Green vines grow over parts of the peanut-brown stone and brick façade. A white stork with long legs and a long beak stands at a nest built on top of the chimney. A sign hangs above an open door, through which a person leans, and a birdcage hangs below the sign. In front of the open door, two men, one wearing a golden yellow vest and one wearing teal blue, unload large wooden barrels from a horse-drawn sled. The brown horse lifts one back foot off the ground, and the side of his hide is marked, perhaps with a sore. A tall tree with dark green leaves separates the building closest to us from its neighbor. A group of people and children are gathered under an awning there. One boy in the group pets a white, long-haired dog. Nearby, a man using crutches makes his way down the road toward us. A pair of dogs, one black and one brown and white, tussle over something in the lower left corner. The row of buildings extends in a line into the distance with steeply pitched, pointed rooflines. A tower, perhaps for a church, appears in the hazy distance to our left, near the left edge of the panel. Clouds with pale peach tops and lilac-gray undersides sweep across the sky above, parting to reveal on a couple slivers of blue sky beyond. The artist signed and dated the panel with black paint in the lower right corner: “Isack van Ostade 1645.”
Isack van Ostade, Workmen before an Inn, 1645, oil on panel, Gift of Richard A. and Lee G. Kirstein, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1991.64.1

Workmen before an Inn

Isack van Ostade · 1645 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  1991.64.1

Three men and a woman sit around a wooden table on the right side of a dimly lit room in this horizontal painting. The scene is painted entirely in warm shades of bronze, golden yellow, and dark brown. A cleanshaven man to our right, Mercury, is dramatically backlit by golden light so we see his face almost in silhouette, though we can make out his eyes, straight nose, and parted lips. He rests both hands on the table, one palm down by the edge close to him and one palm up in front of him, near a glass of amber-colored liquid. He wears a gray and brown tunic, and light glinting in his chin-length hair suggests a silver band or another ornament. He looks toward a man and woman at the other end of the table, to our left and near the center of the composition. The woman’s head is covered with a dark cloth, and she holds a gray fowl in her lap. Her lips are also parted and her face tips down. The man next to her, closer to us, has a gray beard and hair, and he holds a rust-red cap at his chest with both hands as he looks across the table. A bowl of food lies in the center of the table between this couple and Mercury. The fourth person has a long gray beard and hair, and faces us across the table. He wears a gleaming copper and silvery-gray robe and cloak, and holds one hand up, palm down, over the table. Much of the rest of the room is swallowed in shadow but there is the suggestion of rafters and beams, and a small fire glows in a hearth on the left side of the scene. The artist signed and dated the lower left, “Rembrandt f. 1658.”
Rembrandt van Rijn, Philemon and Baucis, 1658, oil on panel transferred to panel, Widener Collection, 1942.9.65

Philemon and Baucis

Rembrandt van Rijn · 1658 · oil on panel transferred to panel ·  Accession ID  1942.9.65

Four men and one woman gather around a dead man who is dressed in a bright honey-gold cape and pointed hat, his stone-gray face resting on a stump or column in this dark vertical painting. All the people have peachy skin or light skin tinged with green. Shown from the knees up, Saint Gennaro, the dead man, twists and slumps to our right. On the stump, his eyes are closed and his lips parted. His hands are crossed at his waist and bound with rope. He wears a tall hat rising to a peak in the center. His cloak drapes over a white tunic, and red seeps from around his neck. On our right, a brown-haired woman is shown from the waist up, bending down in front of Saint Gennaro’s face. The light falls across the scene from our right, so her profile is in shadow. She holds a silver chalice in one hand and squeezes something, perhaps a rag or sponge, over the chalice with her other hand. A clean-shaven man with dark curly hair stands behind the stump. That man’s body faces us as he leans to our right and tilts his head down over Saint Gennaro, his shadowed face obscured. His left hand is under the dead man’s head and his right hand clutches his own chest. Behind the dead man and to our left, a bald, gray bearded man bends over and spreads his arms wide over and across the saint’s back. His brow is furrowed, and he looks at Saint Gennaro with deep-set eyes. Along the left edge of the canvas, a bald man with a hooked nose and large ears stands and angles his body to our right, his face in profile. He leans back from the dead man, his right hand holding a knife or sword with a bird-shaped hilt. The fourth man close to Saint Gennaro looks on to our right, from behind the stooping woman. The people gathered around Saint Gennaro wear clothes in muted shades of gray, brown, and white. The edge of a building rises up along the left edge of the composition. In front of a distant mountain to our right, more people are gathered, some with swords raised and others looking on with mouths gaping. One faint head, the face painted in tones of ash gray, peeks over the shoulder of the fourth man. Yellow streaks near the horizon also illuminate the undersides of heavy, dark gray clouds above.
Mattia Preti, The Martyrdom of Saint Gennaro, c. 1685, oil on canvas, Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2000.75.1

The Martyrdom of Saint Gennaro

Mattia Preti · c. 1685 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  2000.75.1

Umbrian 16th Century, Head of a Woman, c. 1510/1520, oil on poplar panel, Timken Collection, 1960.6.24

Head of a Woman

Umbrian 16th Century · c. 1510/1520 · oil on poplar panel ·  Accession ID  1960.6.24

Gustave Doré, An Alpine Valley with Trees and Boulders, 1876, watercolor, gouache and black chalk, with pen and black ink, over traces of graphite on wove paper, Gift of Helen Porter and James T. Dyke, 2003.144.1

An Alpine Valley with Trees and Boulders

Gustave Doré · 1876 · watercolor, gouache and black chalk, with pen and black ink, over traces of graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2003.144.1

The image depicts a drawing of a baby in two different positions on textured paper. The baby is shown from the upper torso upwards, lying on its back with its head turned to the side. The facial features are delicate, with closed eyes, a small nose, and slightly open lips. The baby's hair is fine, and the drawing is in red and white chalk, showing the contours and shading. The baby is wrapped in a cloth, suggested with light sketching. There are no visible jewelry or objects. The background is the textured paper.
Frank Brangwyn, A Sleeping Baby, c. 1917, red, black, and white chalk on gray flecked cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2007.82.1

A Sleeping Baby

Frank Brangwyn · c. 1917 · red, black, and white chalk on gray flecked cardboard ·  Accession ID  2007.82.1

The image shows a full-body sketch of a seated person who is partially nude. They are positioned with one arm extended upwards, grasping a pole or structure, while their legs are bent at the knees. Their head is tilted slightly upward and to the side, with their eyes closed. The facial features are detailed, showing a strong jawline and full lips, with short, curly hair framing the face. The person is not wearing any clothing. The focus is on the contours and musculature of their body. The background is simple, with flowing lines suggesting drapery or fabric. There are no visible objects or jewelry in the image, and the background appears plain, with minimal shading and details.
Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller, A Female Nude Seated on a Ledge, 1863/1866, red chalk with white heightening on blue paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2010.41.1

A Female Nude Seated on a Ledge

Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller · 1863/1866 · red chalk with white heightening on blue paper ·  Accession ID  2010.41.1

The image shows a three-quarter view of an individual with a focus on their upper body. The person is standing in a slightly turned position, holding a glass in their right hand raised to shoulder height. Their face is roughly sketched without distinct features. The hair is outlined without specific details. The person is depicted in a long overcoat with a high collar and a jacket with slightly visible sleeves. The drawing is in pencil on textured, light-brown paper. The background is blank.
Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller, A Bearded Gentleman with a Glass of Wine, early 1860s, black chalk heightened with white on blue paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2010.41.3

A Bearded Gentleman with a Glass of Wine

Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller · early 1860s · black chalk heightened with white on blue paper ·  Accession ID  2010.41.3

The image is a pencil sketch of an older man's head and a partial view of his right hand. The man's face is turned to the left, looking upwards. He has a broad forehead, thinning hair, pronounced eyebrows, and sideburns that reach his jawline. His expression is calm and thoughtful. The sketch indicates he may be holding a small object or pointing with his index finger. He is wearing a garment with a high collar, but details are not shown. The background is plain to keep the focus on the man.
Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller, Head and Hand of a Man Throwing Dice, early 1860s, black chalk heightened with white on blue-gray paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2010.41.4

Head and Hand of a Man Throwing Dice

Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller · early 1860s · black chalk heightened with white on blue-gray paper ·  Accession ID  2010.41.4

This is a charcoal drawing showing a side profile view of a man's head and upper torso. The man is positioned with his back slightly turned towards the viewer, looking to the right. He has a prominent nose, a thick beard, and wavy hair falling around his head. The man is wearing a shirt with loose fabric. There are no visible accessories or objects. The background is plain, and there is a faint signature in the lower right corner.
Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller, Head of a Bearded Gentleman, early 1860s, black chalk with white heightening on blue paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2010.41.2

Head of a Bearded Gentleman

Charles-Louis-Lucien Müller · early 1860s · black chalk with white heightening on blue paper ·  Accession ID  2010.41.2