William BLAKE<br/> <em>Dante running from the Three Beasts</em> (1824-1827) <!-- (recto) --><br /> illustration for <i>The Divine Comedy</i> by Dante Alighieri (<i>Inferno</i> I, 1-90)<br /> pen and ink and watercolour over pencil and black chalk<br /> 37.3 x 52.8 cm (image and sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1920<br /> 988-3<br /> <!--26892-->
Collection

Prints & Drawings

The NGV’s Prints and Drawings collection is a comprehensive history of international paper-based media from the fifteenth century to the present day, while the Australian collection charts the development of the graphic arts from the colonial period to the present, encompassing drawings, watercolours, prints, posters, artists’ books and sketchbooks.

The department has long been known as a leader in Australian acquisitions of historic prints and drawings, particularly for its early purchase in 1918 of thirty-six of the 102 watercolours that make up William Blake’s The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Other highlights include works by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Francois Boucher, Francisco Goya y Lucientes, Berthe Morisot, Fred Williams, Ian Fairweather, Bea Maddock and megan evans.

Curators

Cathy Leahy
Senior Curator, Prints and Drawings

Petra Kayser
Curator, Prints and Drawings

Eva Christoff
Curatorial Project Officer, Prints and Drawings

Charlotte Lepetoukha
Cataloguer, Fred Williams Collection

Collection Highlights

Albrecht DÜRER<br/> <em>Melencolia I</em> 1514 <!-- (recto) --><br /> engraving<br /> 23.9 x 18.7 cm (image) 24.1 x 18.7 cm (sheet)<br /> 1st state<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1956<br /> 3486-4<br /> <!--43335--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/43335"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Albrecht DÜRER
Melencolia I
 1514 Andrea del SARTO<br/> <em>Study for St John the Baptist</em> (c. 1517) <!-- (recto) --><br /> red chalk<br /> 38.5 x 18.8 cm irreg. (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1936<br /> 351-4<br /> <!--38858--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/38858"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Andrea del SARTO
Study for St John the Baptist
 (c. 1517) REMBRANDT Harmensz. van Rijn<br/> <em>Self-portrait leaning on a stone sill</em> 1639 <!-- (recto) --><br /> etching, touched with black chalk<br /> 20.5 x 16.4 cm (plate) 20.8 x 16.6 cm (sheet)<br /> 1st of 2 states<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1891<br /> p.186.5-1<br /> <!--40199--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/40199"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> REMBRANDT Harmensz. van Rijn
Self-portrait leaning on a stone sill
 1639 François BOUCHER<br/> <em>Madame de Pompadour</em> 1754 <!-- (recto) --><br /> pastel over sanguine and light grey-blue washes<br /> 36.5 x 28.1 cm (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Everard Studley Miller Bequest, 1965<br /> 1482-5<br /> <!--24134--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/24134"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> François BOUCHER
Madame de Pompadour
 1754 Francisco GOYA y Lucientes<br/> <em>And so was his grandfather</em> (1797-1798) <!-- (recto) --><br /> <em>(Asta su abuelo)</em><br /> plate 39 from <i>Los Caprichos (The Caprices)</i> series (1797–98), published 1799<br /> aquatint printed in sepia ink<br /> 20.2 x 14.0 cm (image) 21.4 x 15.2 cm (plate) 25.8 x 18.4 cm (sheet)<br /> 1st edition<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1976<br /> P1.39-1976<br /> <!--25117--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/25117"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Francisco GOYA y Lucientes
And so was his grandfather
(Asta su abuelo)
 (1797-1798)
plate 39 from Los Caprichos (The Caprices) series (1797–98), published 1799 William BLAKE<br/> <em>Antaeus setting down Dante and Virgil in the Last Circle of Hell</em> (1824-1827) <!-- (recto) --><br /> illustration for <i>The Divine Comedy</i> by Dante Alighieri (<i>Inferno</i> XXXI, 112-143)<br /> pen and ink and watercolour over pencil and black chalk, with sponging and scratching out<br /> 52.6 x 37.4 cm (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1920<br /> 1012-3<br /> <!--26885--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/26885"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> William BLAKE
Antaeus setting down Dante and Virgil in the Last Circle of Hell
 (1824-1827)
illustration for The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (Inferno XXXI, 112-143) J. M. W. TURNER<br/> <em>The Red Rigi</em> 1842 <!-- (recto) --><br /> watercolour, wash and gouache with some scratching out<br /> 30.5 x 45.8 cm (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1947<br /> 1704-4<br /> <!--27796--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/27796"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> J. M. W. TURNER
The Red Rigi
 1842 Conrad MARTENS<br/> <em>One of the falls on the Apsley</em> 1873 <!-- (recto) --><br /> watercolour, gouache and gum arabic<br /> (46.0 x 66.4 cm) (image) 46.3 x 67.3 cm (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1873<br /> p.166.131-1<br /> <!--27449--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/27449"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Conrad MARTENS
One of the falls on the Apsley
 1873 Berthe MORISOT<br/> <em>At the circus</em> (1886) <!-- (recto) --><br /> <em>(Au cirque)</em><br /> coloured pastels<br /> 61.6 x 47.6 cm (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2022<br /> 2022.51<br /> <!--146915--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/146915"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Berthe MORISOT
At the circus
(Au cirque)
 (1886) Edvard MUNCH<br/> <em>Towards the forest II</em> (1915) <!-- (recto) --><br /> <em>(Mot skogen II)</em><br /> colour woodcut<br /> 50.6 x 64.8 cm (image) 55.0 x 68.0 cm (sheet)<br /> 3rd of 3 states<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Felton Bequest, 1974<br /> P152-1974<br /> <!--25016--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/25016"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Edvard MUNCH
Towards the forest II
(Mot skogen II)
 (1915) Ethel SPOWERS<br/> <em>Wet afternoon</em> 1930 <!-- (recto) --><br /> colour linocut<br /> 24.2 x 20.3 cm (block) 35.8 x 22.9 cm (sheet)<br /> ed. of 50<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1947<br /> 1780-4<br /> <!--29369--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/29369"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Ethel SPOWERS
Wet afternoon
 1930 Ian FAIRWEATHER<br/> <em>The circus</em> (c. 1956) <!-- (recto) --><br /> gouache on cardboard<br /> (51.8 x 36.6 cm) (image)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1956<br /> 3321-4<br /> © Ian Fairweather/DACS, London. Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia <!--27124--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/27124"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Ian FAIRWEATHER
The circus
 (c. 1956) Pablo PICASSO<br/> <em>Portrait of a young woman, after Cranach the Younger, II</em> 1958 <!-- (recto) --><br /> <em>(Portrait de Jeune Fille, d'après Cranach le Jeune, II)</em><br /> colour linocut<br /> 64.4 x 53.4 cm (block) 76.9 x 57.5 cm (sheet)<br /> printer's proof<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1996<br /> 1996.598<br /> © Pablo Picasso/Sussession Pablo Picasso. Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia <!--59139--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/59139"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Pablo PICASSO
Portrait of a young woman, after Cranach the Younger, II
(Portrait de Jeune Fille, d'après Cranach le Jeune, II)
 1958 Fred WILLIAMS<br/> <em>Circle landscape, Upwey</em> 1965-1966 <!-- (recto) --><br /> etching, flat-bite, engraving, drypoint, mezzotint rocker and aquatint<br /> 28.2 x 28.5 cm (plate) 49.6 x 38.2 cm (sheet)<br /> ed. 40/40<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Presented through The Art Foundation of Victoria by James Mollison, Governor, 1979<br /> P73-1979<br /> © Estate of Fred Williams <!--25490--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/25490"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Fred WILLIAMS
Circle landscape, Upwey
 1965-1966 Bea MADDOCK<br/> <em>Square drawing I</em> (1972); (1981) {reworked} <!-- (recto) --><br /> pen and ink over photo-etching and etching<br /> 46.2 x 36.8 cm (image) 56.8 x 47.0 cm (plate) 76.3 x 56.4 cm (sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1981<br /> P39-1981<br /> © Courtesy of the artist <!--25836--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/25836"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Bea MADDOCK
Square drawing I
 (1972); reworked (1981) Louise BOURGEOIS<br/> <em>Ste Sébastienne</em> (1992) <!-- (recto) --><br /> drypoint<br /> 98.5 x 78.5 cm (plate) 120.5 x 94.5 cm (sheet)<br /> ed. 25/50<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, 1999<br /> 1999.281<br /> © Louise Bourgeois (The Easton Fnd.)/VAGA, New York. Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia <!--66283--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/66283"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> Louise BOURGEOIS
Ste Sébastienne
 (1992) John WOLSELEY<br/> <em>From Siberia to Roebuck Bay – the godwits reach the mangrove swamps, WA</em> (2012) <!-- (recto) --><br /> watercolour over pencil, charcoal, coloured chalk and masking out<br /> 151.9 x 199.0 cm irreg. (image and sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Gift of Sir Roderick Carnegie in memory of his wife Carmen through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2016<br /> 2016.945<br /> © John Wolseley/Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia <!--113818--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/113818"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> John WOLSELEY
From Siberia to Roebuck Bay – the godwits reach the mangrove swamps, WA
 (2012) megan evans<br/> <em>Bridget Kennedy – Horse Market Hold, Port Melbourne</em> (2021) <!-- (recto) --><br /> from the <i>Will or Won’t</i> series 2021<br /> gouache on nineteenth-century will<br /> 33.5 x 41.7 cm (image and sheet)<br /> National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br /> Purchased, Victorian Foundation for Living Australian Artists, 2022<br /> 2022.836<br /> © megan evans <!--149533--><br/><a class="col-link block" href="/explore/collection/work/149533"><strong>Collection page <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i></strong></a> megan evans
Bridget Kennedy – Horse Market Hold, Port Melbourne
 (2021)
from the Will or Won’t series 2021

Watch

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