Flag (from Sketchbook)
Original title: Flag (from Sketchbook)
kurzbeschreibung
A leaf from a sketchbook by Albert Bierstadt, made around 1891: graphite on wove paper with gilt edges, bound in a leather cover. It shows a stylized female figure within a frame, accompanied by writing and smaller pictorial elements.
Description
A female figure sits at the center of an arched frame, a draped cloth hanging around her. To the left appears a second, smaller framed image. Above the figure the artist noted '8 feet'; at the lower left are the initials 'P. B.'. Folds and scratches in the paper attest to its use in the sketchbook.
Context
Around 1891, in a later phase of his career, Bierstadt turned more often to small-scale works and sketches. This leaf belongs to a sketchbook that likely served personal studies and designs. What exactly the figure and the note '8 feet' were for is not recorded; it is possible that a monumental execution was planned.
Impact
Clear lines and a calm layout first draw the eye to the figure in the arch, then to the smaller image on the left. Figurative and architectural framing combine into a solemn, almost monumental mood that remains intimate and private within the small format of the sketchbook.
Technique
The leaf is executed in graphite on wove paper, refined with gilt edges and bound in a leather cover. The pencil drawing allows fine gradations of shading and precise contours, as are characteristic of Bierstadt's sketches.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)