Elephants in Combat

Elephants in Combat

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This preparatory drawing reveals the process of experimentation undertaken by an artist struggling with capturing the action of fighting elephants. Here, reworkings in charcoal are preserved, unlike in finished ink drawings, where the preparatory charcoal is subsequently erased. Variations of this combat scene are known from many paintings.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.