Provenance

Durlacher Brothers

est. 1843

Explore selected works

See all 32 works of art
A free-standing, gold, enameled, rectangular box has a triangular top like the roof of a house, and the box rests on a short, square foot in each corner. In this photograph, we look onto one long side and the short side to our right is angled toward us, so we see the panel there, too. Along the long side, five people are shown from the waist up in the upper, roof-like panel and six more line up on the panel below. The skin of every person is gold, and all wear robes and garments in lapis or sky blue, spring green, yellow, and white. The area around the people is also gold, and each panel is encased by a royal-blue band dotted with stylized stars at regular intervals. Each panel is then lined with small, button-like rounded bosses around its edges. In the upper panel, all of the men except the second from the right have beards, and all have halos with wavy bands of blue, green, yellow, and white. The man to our left holds a book and his neighbor a skeleton key the length of his arm. The man at the center holds up a book with his left hand, on our right, and raises the index and middle fingers of his other hand, held up at shoulder height. The two men to our right also hold books. In the panel below, three horses’ heads peek in from the left edge, creating a vertical band, and three crowned men line up, holding gold vessels and looking toward a woman seated in a throne with a child on her lap. The woman has a halo made with a wavy pattern of blue, yellow, green, black, and white. Her throne is flanked by columns, and the area around it is edged with bands of white, light, and dark blue. The baby wears gold, has a halo, holds a book in his lap with his left hand, and raises the first two fingers of his other hand toward the three men. The final person in this panel wears a hat, holds a scepter topped with a fleur-de-lis, and gestures at the woman and baby. The head and shoulders of a haloed person is visible along the short side of the box, which is angled sharply away from us. The gold between all the people and bordering each panel is intricately carved with tiny flowing organic lines and swirls.
French 12th Century, Reliquary Châsse, c. 1175/1180, champlevé enamel on gilded copper with oak core, Widener Collection, 1942.9.278

Reliquary Châsse

French 12th Century · c. 1175/1180 · champlevé enamel on gilded copper with oak core ·  Accession ID  1942.9.278

A woman wearing a cobalt-blue robe and a white veil sits with her hands raised, palms out, as she looks toward a slender, bearded man who stands to our left in this vertical painting. Both have light skin and delicate features, and they sit in a room with stone walls and arched windows. There are faint circles under the woman’s light brown eyes. She has a long slender nose, and her pink lips are pursed. One knee is bent, and she is low to the ground, suggesting she sits on a stool. A book lies open on a wooden stand in front of her to our right, below her left elbow. The ruffled edges of her multi-layered, white veil sweep over her forehead and down to her shoulders. Her loose, long-sleeved blue garment is edged with gold and falls in angular folds to pool at her feet. She holds her long-fingered, slender hands up at her chest, palms facing the man to our left. He stands with his body angled toward her as he looks down, his head tipped slightly forward. His brown hair falls over his shoulders. His voluminous, gold-edged, red cloak is fastened at his throat with a gold, jeweled brooch, and it drapes over his shoulders and around his lower torso, leaving his arms, chest, and a gash over his right ribs exposed. He holds a tall, gold staff topped with a jeweled cross in his left hand, to our right. A moss-green pennant flutters back from the base of the cross, as if lifted in a breeze. The man holds up his other hand so the palm faces the woman with the first two fingers raised. Round, puncture wounds with red blood mark the palm of that hand and tops of both bare feet. The floor is patterned with gray, brown, blue, and green tiles. The wall behind the woman has honey-brown paneling along the bottom half and the top half is slate gray. Gray columns are spaced along that wall, supporting a curving, vaulted ceiling. Two arched windows pierce the wall behind the woman, and both have stained glass designs within the curving tops. The window closer to us opens onto a narrow view of a landscape with a rose-pink arch over a bridge, and a path winding through green fields. An open door over the shoulder of the man, to our left, shows the stepped roofline of a pink building under a blue sky. The entire scene is framed with a flattened arch supported by gleaming columns of polished, veined brown stone, creating the impression that we look onto the people and room through the arch. The columns have leafy capitals and white bases. The tan-colored arch is carved with a row of stylized rosettes along the opening that spans the top of the painting.
Anonymous Artist, Christ Appearing to the Virgin, c. 1475, oil on panel, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.45

Christ Appearing to the Virgin

Anonymous Artist · c. 1475 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  1937.1.45

We look through shadowed trees at a river winding into the distance in this horizontal landscape painting. Close to us, a cluster of three thin trees and a larger central tree are deep in shadow, which contrasts with the light-filled scene beyond. The topaz-blue river curves from the lower right corner, across the canvas, and into the distance at the center. A few spindly trees grow along the riverbank in front of a hut with a thatched roof to our right. The bank to our left is lined with reeds and tall grasses. Behind the central shadowed tree, a long, low, narrow boat is occupied by four people with pale skin. To our left, a person with a dark garment and white collar reclines near a seated man wearing yellow and a feathered cap. To our right, another person reclines near the boatman who pushes the boat through the water using a long pole. The harvest yellow and sage green of the riverbanks and vegetation beyond the boats fades to hazy, pale blue mountains along the horizon line, which comes just over halfway up the composition. White clouds float across a blue sky above.
Annibale Carracci, River Landscape, c. 1590, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.58

River Landscape

Annibale Carracci · c. 1590 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1952.5.58

The sculpture is a decorative footed bowl with intricate carvings. The body of the bowl is adorned with detailed scrollwork and several human faces or mask-like details with open mouths on the bowl and stem. It is mostly off-white and pale yellow, with black and green accents highlighting swirling patterns. It stands on a circular base and features small lion heads near the center.
French 16th Century, Cup on high foot with the royal arms of France crowned, c. 1540/1560, lead-glazed fine earthenware, Widener Collection, 1942.9.351

Cup on high foot with the royal arms of France crowned

French 16th Century · c. 1540/1560 · lead-glazed fine earthenware ·  Accession ID  1942.9.351

The image displays a man standing upright. He is facing forward with his head turned slightly upward. He has a youthful appearance with fair skin, short dark hair, and is wearing a wide-brimmed hat, brown jacket, white shirt, light-colored trousers, tall socks, and shoes. In one hand, he holds a sickle, and in the other hand, a round woven hat. Beside him is a small dog with a brown and white coat. The background consists of a rural landscape under a large, pale sky with a round shape resembling the sun or moon.
Richard Westall, The Reaper (The Harvest Moon), pen and gray ink with gray wash and watercolor over graphite on wove paper, Gift of William B. O'Neal, 1995.52.199

The Reaper (The Harvest Moon)

Richard Westall · · pen and gray ink with gray wash and watercolor over graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1995.52.199

The image shows a line drawing of a person's upper body in profile. The individual is looking to their right, with their hand raised towards their face. The drawing emphasizes the person's facial features and hair texture. The figure is wearing a robe or loose garment. The background is plain and untextured.
Master of the Giants, Head of a Man, c. 1779, pen and brown ink on brown wove paper, Gift of William B. O'Neal, 1995.52.79

Head of a Man

Master of the Giants · c. 1779 · pen and brown ink on brown wove paper ·  Accession ID  1995.52.79

The drawing depicts a full-length view of a person standing with their upper body slightly bent forward and looking to their left. The figure's head is turned to the side, revealing their facial features, including a prominent nose and a defined brow. The person's hair is styled back and appears to be in a loose, short ponytail. The individual is shown in an expressive pose with one arm crossing their body and the other resting near their abdomen. The background consists of plain brown paper, contrasting with the white highlights and black contours used to render the figure, emphasizing the form and musculature of the body. There are no visible details of jewelry or objects being held by the figure.
Arthur B. Davies, Study for "Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night", c. 1927, charcoal and chalk on wove paper mounted to board, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Robert Halsband, 1962), 2015.19.1005

Study for "Stars and Dews and Dreams of Night"

Arthur B. Davies · c. 1927 · charcoal and chalk on wove paper mounted to board ·  Accession ID  2015.19.1005

This is a drawing of figures and cherubs amidst clouds. The drawing features numerous figures seated or flying among swirling clouds. The most prominent figure is floating or ascending on the left with a flowing cloak, while other smaller figures resemble cherubs with curly hair and playful demeanor. Additional clouds and abstract designs are in the background, contributing to the ethereal and dynamic quality of the scene. The style is reminiscent of Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo.
Jacob de Wit, Study for a Ceiling: Allegory of the Harvest with Dionysus and Ceres, pen and black and brown inks with gray and brown washes on laid paper, Gift of William B. O'Neal, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1991.150.17

Study for a Ceiling: Allegory of the Harvest with Dionysus and Ceres

Jacob de Wit · · pen and black and brown inks with gray and brown washes on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1991.150.17

This image shows the faint sketch of a woman's head and upper shoulders. Her position is frontal with a slight turn to one side. Her facial features are delicately rendered, with soft, subtle pencil lines forming her eyes, nose, and mouth. The woman's hair appears to be pulled back, with minimal detail. There is no visible clothing detail or additional objects in the drawing. The background is a plain, lightly textured surface with no additional elements.
Thomas Melhuis Strudwick, Head of a Woman, graphite on wove paper, Gift of William B. O'Neal, 1995.52.13

Head of a Woman

Thomas Melhuis Strudwick · · graphite on wove paper ·  Accession ID  1995.52.13

This is a drawing of a crowd scene with figures in armor and weapons. The artwork shows a gathering of figures interacting against a backdrop suggesting a setting of conflict. There are spears and shields visible. The figures are arranged dynamically, with some kneeling or gesturing. A central figure is being attended to by others, suggesting a narrative moment. The drawing has detailed expressions and a classical theme, giving it a sense of historical or mythological storytelling.
Benjamin West, Death of a General, pen and black ink with gray wash on laid paper, Gift of William B. O'Neal, 1995.52.195

Death of a General

Benjamin West · · pen and black ink with gray wash on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1995.52.195

Bibliography

1928

  • Durlacher Brothers: Eighty-Five Years of Art Dealing. London, 1928.