I love seeing the studies and unfinished works from other artists. Both contemporary and past. I was looking through my folder of miscellaneous old masters and realized I had quite a few images of studies and works in progress. Some of them I have taken, but the majority are downloaded from auction houses.
There is so much to learn from these. Both in the methods and working practices, but also from the work ethic involved. So much work was often done in preparation for the paintings we admire. It is tempting to imagine many of our heroes sitting down and applying masterstrokes with every whip of the wrist, but reality is most great works are just that, work. And the result of hours of deliberation and decision making and the painting we see is the denouement.
Here are a ton of studies and unfinished works. Take some time to study those that intrigue and look at the details and try and get inside the head of the artist.
William Bouguereau
John William Waterhouse
Ernest Meissonier
Anthony van Dyck
Delphin Enjolras
Giovanni Boldini
John William Waterhouse
William Bouguereau
Giacinto Diano
James Drummond
George Romney
Edwin Henry Landseer
Cristoforo Savolini
Juan Bauzà Mas
How fantastic is this canvas of studies above!? It is titled “Masterpieces from the Prado, A Series of Sketches”.
Thomas Lawrence
Jean-Léon Gérôme
Jean-Eugène Buland
John William Waterhouse
Ernest Meissonier
William Bouguereau
William Bouguerueau
William Bouguereau
Jules Breton
George Spencer Watson
William Bouguereau
John William Waterhouse
Study for ‘Saint Eulalia’ c.1885 John William Waterhouse 1849-1917 Purchased 1977 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T02107
Study for ‘Consulting the Oracle’ Verso: Studies of (i) Same Composition (ii) Priestess on a Tripod Throne c.1884 John William Waterhouse 1849-1917 Purchased 1977 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T02106
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Isidore Pils
Alfred Munnings
Alphonse Mucha
Nicolas de Largillière – Study of Hands
Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin
Eugene Delacroix
Eugene Delacroix
Frederic Leighton – Study for Flaming June
John Singer Sargent
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema
John William Waterhouse
William Bouguereau
I hope you find these as useful I do. I think it’s fascinating to get a look into the mind and working process of so many artists.
Howard
Beautiful post, Howard. Very inspiring.
Thanks, Dan! There is so much to learn from these unfinished works. Every time I go through them, I see something new.
Even it is just studies and unfinished works, they still looks so fascinating and interesting! Especially, Waterhouse and Bouguereau. Love it! Thanks for the post.
Hey brother, browsing the internet to show my students some unfinished paintings and I came across this and was pleasantly surprised when I saw who the author of the post is. Great post. Hope you are well. See you at PSoA next time we can go there in person!