Open full image Pin

Study for a Border Design [recto]

Charles Sprague Pearce

1894

graphite

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Study for a Border Design [recto] 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 painting shows a narrow strip of a patterned border along the top, with two diagonal sections meeting in the middle. The design looks like overlapping shapes—maybe leaves or abstract forms—painted in muted greens, browns, and gold. Below it, the rest of the paper is blank and lightly stained. The gold paint stands out against the soft tan background, giving it a slightly fancy look. The artist used watercolor and graphite to sketch the shapes first, then added gold for detail. Next, check out watercolor to see how artists mix transparency and layers to create depth.