Portrait of H. W. Schweieckhardt
n.d.
Medium
Black pastel, heightened with white chalk, brush and gray wash, and touches of pen and brown ink, on blue laid paper
Dimensions
9.2 × 8.4 cm (3 5/8 × 3 5/16 in.)
Classification
pastel
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
83739
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This intimate portrait by Pieter Gaal depicts H. W. Schwehardt in a compact format measuring just over three inches across. Created with pastel heightened by white chalk gray wash, and of brown ink on blue laid paper, the drawing exemplifies the refined mixed-media techniques favored by European artists for capturing subtle likenesses. The cool blue ground serves as a middle tone, allowing the white chalk to glow with highlights while the black pastel and ink define contours and shadows with remarkable economy. Such small-scale pastels held particular significance in the 18th and 19th centuri...