Artwork

Study for a Border Design

Study for a Border Design, by Charles Sprague Pearce, gouache, 1894
Study for a Border Design, by Charles Sprague Pearce, gouache, 1894

Study for a Border Design is a gouache drawing by the Impressionist artist Charles Sprague Pearce. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Study for a Border Design is a work on tan wove paper executed in 1894 by American artist Charles Sprague Pearce. The piece combines gouache, graphite, and conté crayon, functioning as a preparatory drawing for a decorative border.

Technique & Style

Pearce employed a mixed-media approach, layering opaque gouache washes with graphite lines and conté crayon shading. The combination of these materials on a light‑colored paper allows for a range of tonal values and precise draftsmanship typical of late‑19th‑century design studies.

Artist & collection

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.