Most painted sketches were never intended to be displayed publicly, but rather were made as tools in the creative process. They were used to experiment with ideas for a composition, to propose a composition to a patron, or to record a finished painting for future reference. Preliminary painted sketches could be very rough in appearance, mapping out the artist’s first thoughts about a composition, or more finished exercises that laid out not only elements of the composition, but also served as studies of color and light.

Sebastiano Conca (Italian, 1680–1764), "The Madonna Appearing to St. Philip Neri," 1740, James E. Roberts Fund, 71.6

This lively, loosely painted sketch is a preliminary study for a large altarpiece in the Pilo e Calvello Chapel, Sant’Ignazio Martire all’Olivella (formerly San Filippo Neri), Palermo, commissioned from Conca at the height of his fame in 1739-40. In these years, Conca led a large and busy workshop in Rome and served as the director of the Roman academy. Unwilling to relocate to complete such commissions, Conca would have sent small preliminary sketches like this to his patron in Sicily for approval before undertaking the final full-scale altarpiece. Two additional painted sketches and one drawing related to the altarpiece also survive, with slight variations between them that indicate Conca’s exacting approach to composition.

Giacinto Diana (Italian, 1730–1803), "The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian," about 1780, James E. Roberts Fund, 71.5

Diana’s sketch is a preparatory study for the main altarpiece of the church of San Sebastiano (now San Giovanni Battista), Gragnano, part of a series of five paintings dedicated to the life of the saint. This painting is relatively large in scale, indicating that it might have served as a presentation model for the patrons, even though it displays the unfinished quality of a preparatory sketch. Diana omits fine details such the bows and arrows held by the executioners, which he may have judged to be extraneous to the overall effect of the composition. The graceful, refined figures and warm tonality are hallmarks of Diana’s style, which was widely disseminated thanks to his role as an instructor at the academy in Naples.

Carlo Innocenzo Carlone (Italian, 1686–1775), "Glorification of the Cross," about 1718, Martha Delzell Memorial Fund, 56.106

Carlone’s brilliantly colored, fluid sketch is a study for the cupola fresco in the chapel of Schloss Ludwigsburg, the residence of Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemburg. Large-scale ceiling decorations required especially careful planning because of their complexity. As in this composition, they often featured a multitude of figures in extreme foreshortening arranged in highly complex interwoven groups. Here, heaven expands upwards, presided over by the Trinity and swirling masses of angels and saints. Carlone’s dependence on painted sketches to work out the elaborate commissions he undertook for palaces and churches in Germany and Austria is attested to by the presence of some 300 sketches that remained in his studio at his death.

With their fluid brushwork, abbreviated handling, and intimate scale, painted sketches are often more vibrant than finished full-scale paintings. As a glimpse of the artist’s creative process and because of their aesthetic value, these studies appealed to sophisticated connoisseurs and collectors in the eighteenth century, who conceded them to painted sketches the status of works of art in their own right.

A new installation featuring 18^th-century painted sketches from the IMA’s permanent collection is now on view in the Charles O. McGaughey Gallery. The paintings by Conca and Diana are being exhibited for the first time since entering the museum’s collection in 1971, following recent conservation treatment. An upcoming post will discuss the treatment of these two paintings.

European Design Symposium – With a brand new price of just $100 for the public and $50 for students, this deal is just too good not to recommend. I’m going just to hear Rolf Fehlbaum talk about chairs. Check this blurb of the official blurb…

“Join designers, critics, scholars, manufacturers, dealers and students for a lively examination of the present and future of European decorative and industrial design,”

Anyway, Friday and Saturday, March 6 & 7, don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from European design masters such as Alberto Alessi and Michele De Lucchi. It should rule.

Bacolicio.us – By way of the newest New Media member, Kate, comes this pork modification. While this pharmacist is generally meat-free, bacon on a website is pretty funny.

Sketching with Ketchup – By way of Matt comes this demo that uses meat sandwich accessories and sugar infused tomato squeezings.

European Design Facebook Contest – Week one’s winner has been selected. Up is the new picture!

If you visited the IMA’s permanent galleries more than once this year, it is likely you did not see the same works of art. Each month the IMA rotates different works of art in an effort to display the breadth of the Museum’s collection. The scheduled rotation is determined through a collaboration between curators and conservators. Curators decide which works are displayed and their display time frame, while the conservators regulate the exposure time of certain sensitive artworks. Below are just a handful of the hundreds of works newly displayed in the IMA’s galleries in 2008:

For a look at all the works that went on view in 2008, visit the IMA’s Dashboard.

In celebration of the IMA’s 125th anniversary, the Museum also sought to acquire 125 new gifts to add to its collection this year. Stay tuned for a complete recap of this project.