Study of Camels

1848

Study of Camels, 1848. France, 19th century. Graphite with blue, red and yellow colored pencil and scraping on wove paper; sheet: 28 x 23.4 cm (11 x 9 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2019.248 This sheet by an unknown artist was probably created during travels throughout North Africa, possibly Algeria. The country was captured by France in 1830 and annexed as part of its territories in 1848, the year this sheet was made. Numerous artists found inspiration in the culture, recording it for a French audience to whom it was unfamiliar. This sheet is an early example featuring colored pencils, used primarily for office and clerical work at the time and less often by artists.