Renaissance to Revolution

Library Journal

Grasselli, the curator of French drawings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, provides an overview of the museum's collection of French drawing from 1500 to 1800. This rich collection, as Grasselli demonstrates, has been formed over time by a variety of generous donors and patrons, beginning in the 1940s and 1950s with the gift of the gallery's first Watteau and gifts by Samuel H. Kress, among others, to the important donation of old master drawings from the Ian Woodner collection in the 1990s. The collection is wide-ranging, from the school of Fontainebleau in the 16th century to works created under Louis XIV in the 17th century, from rococo drawings of the 18th century to the neoclassicism that flourished at the end of this century. Strong in scope and quality, many beautiful and important drawings are featured, including acquisitions never exhibited before. VERDICT With beautiful color illustrations and scholarly documentation, this is recommended for readers interested in the subject of old master drawings and French drawings in particular.—Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll. Lib., MA