Mrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artist

Mrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artist

John Downman

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Downman made this drawing shortly after he returned to England from two years in Italy. Graphite and chalks are used to describe Jane, wife of his elder brother Francis. The limited palette, and pose, convey calm restraint, with greatest attention given to the face and broader strokes applied to describe gown and cap.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artistMrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artistMrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artistMrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artistMrs. Downman, sister-in-law of the artist

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.