Description
Although foreign to Europe, camels and other non-native animals were sometimes displayed as curiosities on the continent. Cornelis Saftleven recorded one such rare encounter, capturing the animal’s fur by using a combination of black, brown, and ocher chalk, in some areas (the head and haunches) wetting the media to create denser passages in contrast to the dryer, more disperse use of chalk elsewhere. The addition of ink wash added further shading to suggest the volumes of the camel’s body.
Provenance
John Malcolm; by descent to Alfred Gathorne-Hardy; by descent to Geoffrey Gathorne-Hardy; by descent to Robert Gathorne-Hardy; sold, Sotheby-Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, May 3, 1976, lot 6. British Rail Pension Fund; sold by Lexbourne Ltd., London, to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1989.
Accession Number
74217
Medium
Black chalk and brush and black wash, with touches of brown and ochre chalk, on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
20.4 × 31.3 cm (8 1/16 × 12 3/8 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Credit Line
Clarence Buckingham Collection