A Muse
1816
charcoal
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
John Vanderlyn
John Vanderlyn (1775–1852) was an American artist, born in Kingston.
See the richer artist page1816
charcoal
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
A Muse is a 1816 charcoal by John Vanderlyn, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a woman lying on her side, her body wrapped in flowing cloth. Her hair is piled up, and one arm stretches out behind her. The lines are loose and quick, like the artist was working fast. The paper has a grid drawn on it, probably to help transfer the drawing to another surface. The cloth swirls around her legs in big, loose strokes—almost like wind. The artist used charcoal and white chalk to build up the shapes, making some parts darker or lighter. Want to see more sketches like this? Look up cross-hatching.
John Vanderlyn (1775–1852) was an American artist, born in Kingston.
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