Over thirty-old master drawings by French, Italian, and Northern artists of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries are featured in this exhibition, with a particular concentration of works by eighteenth-century French draftsmen. Providing visitors with the rare opportunity to see a highly personal collection, the exhibition includes works by François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Jean-Francois Millet, Guercino, Francesco Fontebasso, and Francesco Panini.
A generous patron of the arts, music, and dance, Joan Taub Ades began collecting old-master drawings nearly a decade ago, selecting works that appealed to her personal taste and piqued her curiosity. A promised gift to the Morgan, the Ades collection adds several drawings by artists previously unrepresented among the museum's holdings while enriching the number of works by celebrated draftsmen.
François Boucher (1703–1770), Reclining Nude with Outstretched Arm (detail), black, white, and wetted red chalk, with stumping, on buff paper. Promised gift of Joan Taub Ades.