150 Masterpieces of Drawing

The artists whose work is represented include world-famous greats of the Italian Renaissance, Flemish masters, members of the Dutch and French schools, and British artists. In addition to the expected, well-known drawings by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Brueghel, Rubens, Fragonard, Dürer, Raphael, and others of their standing, there are scores of brilliant efforts by lesser known geniuses: Francesco Francia, Mabuse, Huber, Breu, Urs Graf, van Goyen, Wouwerman, Antoine Pesne, Natoire, Basaiti, and many others. And instead of only pen or pencil drawings, the collection includes a wide variety of techniques: chalk, bistre, sepia, watercolor, crayon, charcoal, silverpoint, and pastel.
But regardless of the medium used, each of the drawings is superbly reproduced. Lines are clear and sharp and shaded areas are rich in contrasts. As often as possible, the drawings are presented in full size, so that they are as close to the originals as they can be. Arranged chronologically by artist, the 150 plates are all described, the artist noted and his dates given and the technique used in each case stated in a detailed list of the plates.
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