Important Works on Paper from the Permanent Collection
Henry Fuseli, The Passing of the Angel of Death (detail), 1790-1792. Brush and wash heightened with white on heavy rag paper. SBMA, Museum purchase.
Alejandro Cartagena, Fragmented Cities/Ciudades fragmentadas, Escobedo (detail), 2008. Inkjet print, ed. 3/10. SBMA, Museum Purchase with funds provided by Stephanie and Fred Shuman.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as Jiraiya (center) with a Monster Toad, 1852. Color woodblock print, triptych. SBMA, Gift of the Frederick B. Kellam collection.
Andrew Wyeth, Evening Star (detail). 1938, Watercolor on paper. SBMA, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Ahlers.
SBMA is proud to share the newly constructed Works on Paper Study Center with visitors, featuring an inaugural exhibition of Important Works on Paper from the Permanent Collection. Showcasing drawings, photographs, and prints from all four Museum departments, this opening installation represents the breadth and variety of the permanent collection, both chronologically and geographically.
Davidson and Colefax Galleries will be devoted to rotations of works on paper, allowing for the display of rarely shown artworks and new discoveries. This is an exciting opportunity to shed new light on artworks which are usually kept out of view, precisely because they are so sensitive to light. The Center will celebrate the ways in which these delicate and precious works offer unique insights into the artistic process, from the intimacy of drawing and painting on paper, to the technical innovations of printmaking and photography.
The Study Center will allow curatorial staff to begin the long-awaited process of cataloguing, photographing, and digitizing over 20,000 works on paper which have been in off-site storage for several years. This project will vastly expand SBMA’s online collections, making it easier to learn more about the Museum’s world-class collection. At the same time, the Center will also offer a new experience for in-person visitors. The study room is equipped with windows, offering visitors a fascinating behind-the-scenes view into the process of researching and caring for the collection in real time.
