Shepherdess

J. J. Grandville

1827–47 · Pen and ink and graphite · Drawings and Prints

Although the precise published illustration for which this drawing is preparatory has not yet been identified, this sheet gives tremendous insight into the working process of one of the preeminent illustrators of the nineteenth century. The marginal annotations convey Grandville's instructions to the artisan who would have transferred the drawing to a wood block to prepare a wood engraving. For instance, he notes the two sheep and the ground should be lower and the birds should be in smaller proportion.

Artist

J. J. Grandville

Date

1827–47

Medium

Pen and ink and graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of James David Draper and the Robert Isaacson Collection, 2020