Drawn to Life: Master Drawings from the Age of Rembrandt in the Peck Collection at the Ackland Art Museum

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2022
Publisher: Paul Holberton Publishing Ltd

The Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill houses a magnificent collection of seventeenth-century Dutch drawings from the Peck Collection. This beautifully illustrated catalogue showcases a selection of exceptional works by renowned artists of the era, including Rembrandt, Jacques de Gheyn II, Samuel van Hoogstraten, and Frans van Mieris. The collection, donated to the museum in 2017 by the late Drs. Sheldon and Leena Peck, comprises over 130 largely seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Dutch and Flemish drawings, making the Ackland one of a handful of university art museums in the United States where northern European drawings can be studied in depth.

Drawn to Life presents around 70 works from this exceptional and diverse group of drawings amassed by the Pecks over four decades. The catalogue, featuring new research and fresh insights into seventeenth-century drawing practice, celebrates the creativity and technical skills of Dutch artists who explored the beauty of the natural world and the multifaceted aspects of humanity.

The catalogue offers a broad selection of scenes of everyday life, landscapes, biblical and historical scenes, portraits, and preparatory studies, forming a dynamic and representative group of Dutch drawings made by some of the most outstanding artists of the period. Notable artists featured in the collection include Abraham Bloemaert, Jacob van Ruisdael, Esaias van de Velde, Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Pieter Molijn, Aelbert Cuyp, Adriaen van Ostade, Ferdinand Bol, Nicolaes Maes, Jan Lievens, Gerard ter Borch, Adriaen van de Velde, Nicolaes Berchem, and Cornelis Dusart. Additionally, the catalogue includes key sheets of remarkable quality by lesser-known artists, adding depth and diversity to the collection.

This extraordinary gift has transformed the Ackland, providing scholars and art enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to explore the rich artistic heritage of the Dutch Golden Age. The catalogue and accompanying exhibition, Drawn to Life, offer a glimpse into the world of seventeenth-century Dutch drawing, showcasing the talent, innovation, and beauty of these artists.

Dimension: 280 x 245 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913645328