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Study for a Border Design

Charles Sprague Pearce

1894

graphite

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Floral

Dominant colour

Study for a Border Design is a 1894 graphite 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 drawing shows a row of flower shapes. The flowers have long, thin petals and small circles inside. They look like they’re connected by vines or stems. The whole thing is drawn in pencil on a light, textured paper. The flowers aren’t realistic—they’re stylized, almost like a pattern. The artist used simple lines to make them look decorative. If you like this, check out Pearce, Charles Sprague.