A Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape Beyond

A Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape Beyond

Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tischbein's chalk study of giant stones set in a deserted landscape reflect northern Europe's romantic fascination with its own prehistoric past in the early nineteenth century. These rough-hewn boulders, some fallen, some still in ritual formation, hint at ancient mysteries. Workmanlike in execution, the preliminary drawing was probably made on location. Later, Tischbein expanded his sketch into a finished watercolor (2003.99), using pen lines to describe the diverse textures of rocks and ground cover, and adding layers of color to suggest the atmosphere of a hilly barren expanse devoid of occupants.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape BeyondA Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape BeyondA Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape BeyondA Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape BeyondA Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape Beyond

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.