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Study for a Border Design

Charles Sprague Pearce

1894

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Study for a Border Design is a 1894 ink by Charles Sprague Pearce, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Charles Sprague Pearce
When & what style?: 1894 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a row of stylized flowers with red berries, painted in soft pinks and greens. The flowers sit on a simple beige background with a scalloped edge at the bottom. To the right, there’s a dark blue rectangle that looks like a window or door frame. The artist used quick, loose brushstrokes to fill in the shapes, leaving some areas sketchy. The flowers aren’t perfectly realistic—they’re more like decorative patterns. Next, check out gouache to see how this paint works.