Drawings
to
337
1,195
837
1,909
140
58
Height
to
Width
to
273
266
164
68
31
21
21
13
13
11
8
8
6
6
3
3
2
1
162
307
1,440
198
213
608
408
23
18
67
131
75
93
123
131
87
60
1,740
453
222
108
101
1,159
594
533
507
184
2,107
2,091
2,106
20
11
9
9
9
Drawings For Sale
Large Antique Male Nude Art Study Drawing From Paris, Framed in Italy
Located in Miami, FL
Large Antique Male Nude Art Study Drawing From Paris, Framed in Italy
Offered for sale is a late 19th-century male nude art study drawing in graphi...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Drawings
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
"Rear View, " Superb Ink Drawing by John K. Green, Circle of Benjamin Britten
By John Kenneth Green
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Finely detailed in ink on paper, this drawing of a nude male figure's back side was made by John Kenneth Green, a prolific and successful English artist who is best known for his portraits. Green came from Suffolk, England, and won a scholarship to study at the Slade School of Fine Art, after which he traveled and exhibited widely, including a trip to America in the early 1930s which led to an exhibition at Feragil Galleries in New York. He had a place in a circle of gay artists, and in 1943 painted a lovely portrait of one of England's foremost gay couples -- Benjamin Britten...
Category
1930s British Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
$1,875 Sale Price
25% Off
"Dance of the Three Nudes, " Art Deco-Mannerist Drawing w/ Male Figures, 1935
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Drawn in rich, ruddy sanguine, and with a confident, bravura hand, this depiction of three nude males -- all exaggeratedly tall and elastic-limbed -- shows the figures engaging in a ...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
"Picnic Apocryphal, " Sophisticated Art Deco Drawing by Benito, Vogue Pioneer
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This large and important drawing was made by Eduardo Benito, the pioneering artist who helped to establish the impossibly sophisticated images of modern...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Early 19th Century Architectural Prints by Louis-Pierre Baltard De La Fresque
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Three gorgeous early 19th century architectural prints by Louis-Pierre Baltard de la Fresque (1764-1846).
Category
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Drawings
Materials
Wood, Paper
Mughal Indian Miniature
Located in New York, NY
This Mughal miniature was painted at one of the princely courts of India. It depicts a raven-haired princess in a gold-trimmed saffron-colored silk sari. Under a glowering evening sky she dawdles on a white marble terrace, with a pet fawn on a leash, before a landscape dotted with buildings nestled amongst trees beyond a river. Her hair, falling loosely about her shoulders, rather than carefully dressed on her head, indicates that she is a maiden. The overall mood is one of expectancy. Perhaps walking a pet and catching an evening breeze is a pretext to escape palace scrutiny for a lovers’ assignation. In Mughal India tender sentiments were a bridge to the erotic – and if this seems contradictory, so too is the balance of realism and caricature, and naturalism with the schematic. Both are hallmarks of miniatures painted in this place and time.
The earliest Mughal Indian miniatures date to the 16th century. They were inspired by those painted at the refined Moslem courts of the neighboring Persian empire. They incorporated figures in spite of the Moslem faith’s proscription against depicting the human form. Such was the nature of sophisticated courtly life everywhere that beauty and pleasure trumped systems of morality. This was no less the case at the provincial Indian courts, where our miniature, marked by a charming pictorial naiveté, was most likely painted. Yet the artist was undeniably accomplished. His command of perspective, introduced by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century, is seen in the landscape, which rolls back to a distant horizon, contrary to the flat two-dimensional ones following Indian-painting traditions. And if Mughal artists were influenced by Western art, the compliment was returned by Rembrandt and Sir Joshua Reynolds, among others, who collected Indian miniatures (as did, perhaps, Giovanni Bellini who painted in Mughal style the famous miniature of a Persian man...
Category
18th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
$12,000
René Leroy, French Artist, Pastel on Paper, 1980s
Located in København, Copenhagen
René Leroy (b. 1931), French artist. Pastel on paper. 1980s.
Visible dimensions: 15 x 10 cm.
Total dimensions: 24 x 18 cm.
In excellent condition.
Signed.
Category
1980s French Modern Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Collection of Seven Working Drawings by José Thenée
By Jose Thenne
Located in Wainscott, NY
Set of seven working drawings by José Thenée. José Thenée was a master blacksmith born in Austria in 1853 who made his home in Argentina. The drawings were found on his estate, clea...
Category
Early 20th Century Argentine Drawings
Materials
Paper
$2,520 Sale Price / set
40% Off
Oil on Canvas, Painting by Georges Picard, Spring, Art Nouveau Period.
By Georges Picard
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Oil on canvas, painting by Georges Picard, spring, early 20th century, Art Nouveau period.
Painting, oil on canvas by Georges Picard representing an interpretation of spring, early ...
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Drawings
Materials
Canvas
"Half Nude Man at Rest, " Important Drawing of Black Worker by De Erdelyi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A Fine and important depiction of an African American worker, one of the artist's favorite subjects, this drawing by Francis De Erdelyi gives a hint of his important influence on a g...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Charcoal, Paper
Drawing for a Table Lamp by Robert Gerlach, 1915
Located in Vienna, Austria
A rare study of a table lamp, drawn with pencil on vellum, by Robert Gerlach from circa 1915. We can assume that the materials would
be brass and glass. Whether the drawing was actu...
Category
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
$5,270 Sale Price
20% Off
20th Century, Academy Drawing Pencil Paper
Located in Madrid, ES
Drawing Greek sculpture academy made in charcoal at the beginning of the 20th century, at the Spanish academy in Rome. Depicting a Greek sculpture.
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Revival Drawings
Materials
Paper
"The Idealized City, " Depiction of Classicized, Homophile Paradise by Goor
By Gaston Goor
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This idealized view of a Greek city of cliffside temples and columned walls climbing a craggy mountain is also the depiction of a homophile Shangri-La, where lithe nude male figures ...
Category
1960s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
"Floating Man, " Study for Ceiling Mural with Male Nude by Allyn Cox, 1920s
By Allyn Cox
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Floating Man," study for ceiling mural with male nude by Allyn Cox, 1920s This dramatic drawing, which demonstrates the artist's mastery of the human fi...
Category
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
3 Antique Italian Views of Venice Drawings 1778
Located in Boca Raton, FL
3 antique 18 th c Italian ink drawings on paper of views of Venice- Dougaba and Santa Maria church, Piazza San Marco with Campanile, Venice fort. framed later. Inscribed and dated.
Category
1770s Italian Baroque Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
$3,500 / set
Large Framed Lithograph by Tony Friedlaender
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Framed Lithograph by Tony Friedlaender. Signed and numbered 44/95. Nicely framed over canvas.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Drawings
Materials
Glass, Paper, Wood
19th C, Academy Student Drawing, Pencil on Paper
Located in Leuven , BE
Drawing is framed, signed and dated.
Category
19th Century Belgian Neoclassical Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
Drawing charcoal "Figure d
Etoile" Paul de Pignol, 2013
Located in PARIS, FR
Born in Toulouse in 1965, Paul de Pignol studied at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the painting studio of Pierre Carron. He lives and works between Paris a...
Category
2010s French Drawings
Materials
Paper
"Standing Nude with Upraised Arms, " Important Art Deco Print by Eberz
Located in Philadelphia, PA
One of Germany's great inter-war Expressionists, strongly influenced by Cubism, Josef Eberz painted a number of brilliantly-hued, high-energy paintings as well as a series of prints ...
Category
Early 20th Century German Art Deco Drawings
Materials
Ink, Paper
"Olympia", 1934 Moderne Theater Arch
l Rendering, Stile Littorio, Lakki, Greece
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A brilliant example of Stile Littorio or Italian Rationalist design promulgated by Mussolini in 1930s Italy, this original drawing by Armando Bernabiti depicts his proposal for a str...
Category
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Other
Set of 6 19th Century McKenney and Hall Portraits of Native Americans
Located in Richmond, VA
Set of 6 19th century McKenney and Hall portraits of Native Americans. Hand colored lithographs from: The history of the Indian tribes of North Ameri...
Category
19th Century American Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
Male Portrait, Pastel In Its Frame, Circa 1800
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Male Portrait, Pastel In Its Frame, Around 1800
Category
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Drawings
Materials
Canvas
Yves Saint Laurent Original Pencil Croquis
Located in Riverdale, NY
Rare Yves Saint Laurent Original Pencil Croquis from the 1960's. Gifted to an American business partner who help to launch YSL Rive Gauche ...
Category
1960s French Other Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Set of Three Early 19th Century Architectural Prints by Louis-Pierre Baltard de
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Three gorgeous early 19th century architectural prints by Louis-Pierre Baltard de la Fresque (1764 — 1846).
Category
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper, Wood
Signed Charles Martin Etching Le Tour Eiffel Paris Aquatint Drawing France Tower
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Beautiful, framed, and ready to hang. It is also pencil signed on matte in french; "Original etching The Eiffel Tower," and then to the right "Charles Martin." These demarcations are...
Category
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
3 framed
signed pencil drawings of Indian gentlemen in regional dress, 19th C
Located in London, GB
Three highly charismatic and personal portrait drawings if Indian gentlemen. Dating from the late 19th century and in original glass and oak frames they portray a Pathan hillman and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Indian British Colonial Antique Drawings
Materials
Glass, Oak, Paper
"Looking Heavenward, " Ink Drawing with Male Nude by Harlem Renaissance Artist
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This extraordinary drawing produced by one of the great artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance depicts a nude male figure leaning against an icy slope and looking heavenward. The artist was Charles Cullen, who played a very important role in illustrating several volumes associated with Black writers in the 1920s and 1930s, most especially Countee Cullen (no relation to Charles). Countee was a writer and poet who produced several important works, including "The Black Christ and Other Poems," "Copper Sun...
Category
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Silverplate French Art: Le Verrou Etching after Jean-Honore Fragonard France
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Stamped Le Verrou Grave d’apres le tableu de h fragonard peintre du roi, Par M Blot
After Fragonard Jean Honore (Grasse, 1732 - Paris, 1806)
French Vintage Silverplated art.
Etched w...
Category
Early 20th Century French Rococo Drawings
Materials
Silver Plate
"Nude Male with Hand to Chest, " Drawing by Raoul du Bois
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Powerful and eloquent, this drawing by Raoul Pene du Bois showcases his mastery of the human figure, expressed with his usual Mannerist approach -- all elongated limbs and stylized p...
Category
1940s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
L. Meslay Group 4 French Etchings early 20th C. New York City
Washington D.C.
Located in Miami, FL
Four etchings by L. Meslay (French) of New York City buildings and one of the Capitol in Washington D.C. probably from the early 20th Century. Each with city locale and named buildi...
Category
Early 20th Century French Other Drawings
Materials
Paper
Original Vintage Abstract Color Lithograph, Vintern by Knut Grane, 1991
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
Knut Grane, Vintern, 1991
Color lithography
Number 371/500
This work is signed by the artist and has an individual number
Working dimensions 26/35
This...
Category
1990s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Drawings
Materials
Paper
$321 Sale Price
67% Off
Emilio Terry 1930s "Louis XVII Style" Bed
By Emilio Terry
Located in New York, NY
Emilio Terry -- architect, interior, and furniture designer -- was the inventor and sole-practitioner of what was drolly referred to as his “Louis XVII style...
Category
1930s French Neoclassical Revival Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Paul COLIN - Original drawing - The Piano player
Located in Encino, CA
Paul COLIN (1892-1985)
Original drawing “The Piano player” France 1980
Colored pencils & charcoal on paper depicting a piano player with some dancers including Josephine Baker.
Paul ...
Category
1980s French Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
"Abstraction" India Ink on Paper by Nell Blaine, USA, 1948
By Nell Blaine
Located in New York, NY
During her first years in New York Blaine's work, which had previously been tightly realist, turned abstract, inspired by Mondrian, Leger and Jean Helion. At one time she was the you...
Category
1940s American Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Modernist Don Shoemaker "El Rostro" Signed Color Etching Limited Edition of 22
By Diego Rivera, Don S. Shoemaker
Located in San Diego, CA
Very hard to come by color etching by famous Mexican furniture designer Don Shoemaker, dating from 1950. Hand signed, numbered and titled on...
Category
Mid-20th Century Drawings
"Sleeping Nude, Arms Akimbo, " Masterful Drawing by Allyn Cox, Capitol Muralist
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Confident and masterful, this drawing of a male nude leaning back into a chair, fast asleep, with his arms thrown in every direction, was made by Allyn Cox, probably as a study for one of his murals. Cox spent 20 years painting and restoring murals at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. starting in 1952; among his accomplishments was painting the Frieze of American history and restoring the apotheosis of Washington in the Rotunda. He also designed murals for three first-floor corridors in the House wing, now called the Cox Corridors. Here he uses pencil on paper to demonstrate his mastery of the human figure. He was the son of Kenyon Cox...
Category
1930s Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
18th Century French Aubusson Gouache Cartoon of a Courting Scene in Gilt Frame
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a living room wall or study with this elegant and colorful 18th-century Aubusson gouache painting. Created in the renowned tapestry-making city of Aubusson, France circa 176...
Category
Mid-18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Drawings
Materials
Giltwood, Paper
Francis De Erdely Watercolor and Pencil "Mexican Shark Fisherman"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Francis De Erdely (Hungarian/American, 1904-1959) “Mexican Shark Fishermen” water color and Pencil on Paper within a pine frame and protective glass, circa 1930.
Signed: ‘De Erdely’...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Drawings
Materials
Glass, Pine, Paper
Art Deco, Tiger, Early 20th Century, Charcoal and Gouache on Paper, Drawing
Located in Dresden, DE
P. E. Millet
(France, early 20th century)
TIGER
Executed 1937
Charcoal and gouache on paper, 64 x 93 cm
Signed and dated lower left: P. E. MILLET 37
Athletically well-trained, mus...
Category
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
A Pair of Gouaches depicting the Blue Grotto
Located in Spencertown, NY
A pair of gouaches depicting two scenes of the blue grotto. Late 19th Century
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
$4,500 / set
French Deco Set of 20 Benedictus Pouchoir Plates of the Portfolio of Variations
By Edouard Benedictus
Located in North Miami, FL
These amazing pouchoir plates are from the French Art Deco portfolio of Edouard Benedictus of textile designs and fabric designs. They are not framed but still remain in the original...
Category
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Antique Old Master Horse Etchings by Antonio Tempesta c. 1590 on Paper
Located in Long Island City, NY
A set of five original antique etchings depicting horses by Antonio Tempesta, Italian, 1555 to 1630. Engraved circa 1590. Antonio Tempesta, also called il Tempestino, was an Italian ...
Category
17th Century European Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
Vintage Boho Original 1977 Anatomy Sketch on Paper
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This compelling vintage original anatomy sketch of hands on paper offers a fascinating glimpse into artistic study, rendered with a delicate yet precise hand. The intricate details o...
Category
Late 20th Century American Industrial Drawings
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
American Miniature Folk Art Portrait Of a Young Gentleman
Located in Hudson, NY
Stunning little american folkhart water color of a young gentleman. Sitting with his arm over the back of what appears to be a tiger maple chair of the period. In the lower right corner we can see what is a tiger maple table...
Category
Early 19th Century American Folk Art Antique Drawings
Materials
Wood, Paper, Paint
"Devil and Nude, " Large, Important Drawing by Harlem Renaissance Artist
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An extraordinary and rare drawing produced by one of the great artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance, this depiction of a devil figure whis...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Bernard Boutet de Monvel, Framed Drawing Made Crossing Sarhara, France, c. 1922
Located in New York, NY
One of a series of drawings Bernard Boutet de Monvel made circa 1922 while participating in the Croisière Citroën, an expedition comprising scientists and artists who traversed the S...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Suite of 26 Art Deco Nude Alphabet Pen and Ink Drawings
Located in Atlanta, GA
Suite of 26 Art Deco nude alphabet pen and ink drawings, American, circa 1930s. Perfect for an old school country club, bar, or gentleman's study. Framed in cle...
Category
1930s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Wood, Paper, Glass
$1,600 Sale Price / set
42% Off
19th Century Work of Art Etching by Almery Lobel Riche Custom Framed, French
Located in North Miami, FL
This black and white etching by Almery -Lobel Riche is in a custom gold leaf frame with deep cut beveled silk mat. The etching is of woman leaning over cha...
Category
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Drawings
Materials
Silver Leaf
"Boxer in Triumph, " Rare Ink Drawing of Male Boxer with Arms Raised, 1929
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This 1929 vintage ink and inkwash drawing of a bare-chested boxer is turned away from the viewer, his gloved hands raised high as if the fight has just been won. The artist, William ...
Category
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Unknown Artist, Oil Crayon on Paper, Abstract Composition, Mid-20th Century
Located in København, Copenhagen
Unknown artist. Oil crayon on paper. Abstract composition. Mid-20th century.
Visible dimensions: 31.5 x 24.5 cm.
Total dimensions: 43.5 x 38 cm.
The frame measures: 1.5 cm.
In ex...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Drawings
Materials
Paper
Large Battlefield Drawing Attributed to Hippolyte Bellange (French, 1800-1866)
Located in Kittery Point, ME
Drawing of a revolutionary battlefield attributed to Hippolyte Bellange, representing the End of the Siege of Lille by the Duke Albert of Saxe on the 8th of October 1792 (the French storm out of the city) according to manuscript legend.
Ink and wash on paper.
Joseph-Louis-Hippolyte Bellange (1800-1866) studied with Gros. He first made his name at the Paris Salon as a battle painter. He was known for his exquisitely detailed paintings of military revolutionary and Napoleonic scenes. He celebrated French glory. He enjoyed considerable popular and official success. He was Keeper of the Rouen Museum from 1835 to 1852.
His work can be found in major art institutions.
Our drawing can be compared to a watercolor in the British Royal Collection Trust...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Drawings
Materials
Paper
Pencil and Watercolour Drawing on Paper by Franz Windhager
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pencil and watercolour drawing on paper by Franz Windhager.
Drawing by Franz Windhager, 1879-1959, voyage en Italie, femme assise dénudée, pencil and watercolour on framed paper.
Dr...
Category
20th Century European Art Deco Drawings
Materials
Wood, Paper
"Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, " Superb Art Deco Ink
Watercolor
By Maurice Greenberg
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Superbly executed in watercolor and ink, this charming and lovely depiction of Mother Goose nursery rhyme characters -- including Humpty Dumpty, The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, The Three Little Pigs and Old King Cole -- was created by Maurice Greenberg...
Category
1930s American Vintage Drawings
Materials
Ink, Watercolor, Paper
Framed Drawing by Mexican Artist José Luis Cuevas
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pencil drawing on paper by José Luis Cuevas (Mexican, b.1934). Entitled "La Esperanza". The work is signed right center and dated 20 Dic. 60 lower right, Silvan Simon Gallery label and inscribed title verso. Sight is 11" by 8.5". With frame is 15" by 19".
José Luis Cuevas was a prominent member of the Generación de la Ruptura (Breakaway Generation), who first challenged the then dominant Mexican muralism movement. He remains a distinguished and controversial artist who is known for depicting the darker side of life and the debasement of the human society with often shocking images. He is also known for being an advocate against creating art purely for commercial gain.
Provenance: this group of the work on paper by Cuevas is from a collection purchased in 60s from Silvan Simone Gallery, Los Angles, CA. The The Silvan Simone Gallery was founded in 1958 by Silvan Simone, an former co-owner of the Florentine Gallery in Pacific Palisades. Between 1959 and 1967, the gallery showed artists such as Lee Mullican, Gordon Wagner...
Category
1960s Mexican Modern Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Bernard Boutet de Monvel, Framed Drawing Made Crossing Sarhara, France, c. 1922
Located in New York, NY
One of a series of drawings Bernard Boutet de Monvel made circa 1922 while participating in the Croisière Citroën, an expedition comprising scientists and artists who traversed the S...
Category
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
Large 19th Century Charcoal on Paper Bengal Tiger Dated 1831 Curio Taxidermy
Located in Lowestoft, GB
Of a fabulous size, dated and signed charcoal on paper depiction of a Bengal Tiger.
Dated 1831, housed in a simple period ebonised and gilt slip frame. The signature I cant deciphe...
Category
19th Century European Antique Drawings
Materials
Glass, Pine, Paper
Black Man Pastel Painting Signed Paul Colin, 1925
By Paul Colin
Located in Marbella, ES
Black man pastel painting signed Paul Colin, 1925.
Dimensions with frame: 59.5 x 44 x 2.5cm.
Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Drawings
Materials
Paint
Antique Judaica Hand Illuminated Megillah Scroll of Esther Manuscript
Located in Long Island City, NY
An antique Megillah The Book of Esther, hand written on parchment by an expert Sephardi scribe and richly decorated with hand painted illustrations. The text panels are surrounded by...
Category
19th Century Unknown Antique Drawings
Materials
Parchment Paper
$2,925 Sale Price
35% Off
Watercolour in the Asian Style, 20th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Watercolour in the Asian style, 20th century.
Watercolour of a landscape, 20th century.
H: 36cm, W: 26cm, D: 0,2cm
Category
20th Century Asian Mid-Century Modern Drawings
Materials
Paper
"Man with Blue Eyes, " Portrait by Paul Cadmus, Possibly of Robert F. Kennedy
By Paul Cadmus
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Although there is no evidence that Paul Cadmus knew Robert F. Kennedy, this portrait of a handsome, youthful man with blue eyes and a thick head of hair suggests that the artist admi...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Drawings
Materials
Paper
$7,600 Sale Price
20% Off
Drawings and Other Wall Decorations for Sale on 1stDibs
Revitalize your interiors — introduce drawings and other wall decorations to your home to evoke emotions, stir conversation and show off your personality and elevated taste.
Drawing is often considered one of the world’s oldest art forms, with historians pointing to cave art as evidence. In fact, a cave in South Africa, home to Stone Age–era artists, houses artwork that is believed to be around 73,000 years old. It has indeed been argued that cave walls were the canvases for early watercolorists as well as for landscape painters in general, who endeavor to depict and elevate natural scenery through their works of art.
The supplies and methods used by artists and illustrators to create drawings and paintings have evolved over the years, and so too have the intentions. Artists can use their drawing and painting talents to observe and capture a moment, to explore or communicate ideas and convey or evoke emotion. No matter if an artist is working in charcoal or in watercolor and has chosen to portray the marvels of the pure human form, to create realistic depictions of animals in their natural habitats or perhaps to forge a new path that references the long history of abstract visual art, adding a drawing or watercolor painting to your living room or dining room that speaks to you will in turn speak to your guests and conjure stimulating energy in your space.
When you introduce a new piece of art into a common area of your home — a figurative painting by Italian watercolorist Mino Maccari or a colorful still life, such as a detailed botanical work by Deborah Eddy — you’re bringing in textures that can add visual weight to your interior design. You’ll also be creating a much-needed focal point that can instantly guide an eye toward a designated space, particularly in a room that sees a lot of foot traffic.
When you’re shopping for new visual art, whether it’s for your apartment or weekend house, remember to choose something that resonates. It doesn’t always need to make you happy, but you should at least enjoy its energy.
On 1stDibs, browse a wide-ranging collection of drawings and other wall décor for sale. And find out how to arrange wall art when you’re ready to hang your new works.