A Bunch of Pansies
1890
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1890
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
A Bunch of Pansies is a 1890 ink by James David Smillie, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white drawing of a tight cluster of pansies. The petals are dark with lighter centers, and the stems and leaves are thin, almost like lines. The flowers fill the whole picture, crowding together with no background. The artist used a sharp tool to scratch into the surface, creating the texture of each petal. This kind of drawing is called drypoint. Look up drypoint to see how it works.
