Two Dolls or Puppets Sitting on Cushions

c. 1870–80

Two Dolls or Puppets Sitting on Cushions, c. 1870–80. Henri Joseph Harpignies (French, 1819–1916). Watercolor with graphite underdrawing on heavily textured wove paper; sheet: 38.6 x 28.5 cm (15 3/16 x 11 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2018.1061 Henri Harpignies was best known for landscapes, and this sheet is a rare example of his still life practice. It belongs to a group of drawings created for his pupil, the Comtesse de Kermaingant, providing her with instruction in watercolor. Two dolls or puppets are propped on a pillow, allowing the comtesse to study the drapery of their costume and shadows of their placement on cushions. Harpignies made this drawing as an example for one of his pupils to study and emulate.