A Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape Beyond

Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein German

mid-18th–early 19th century

Not on view

Tischbein's chalk study of giant stones set in a deserted landscape reflect northern Europe's romantic fascination with its own prehistoric past in the early nineteenth century. These rough-hewn boulders, some fallen, some still in ritual formation, hint at ancient mysteries. Workmanlike in execution, the preliminary drawing was probably made on location. Later, Tischbein expanded his sketch into a finished watercolor (2003.99), using pen lines to describe the diverse textures of rocks and ground cover, and adding layers of color to suggest the atmosphere of a hilly barren expanse devoid of occupants.

Artwork Details

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Provenance

Title: A Prehistoric Stone Circle on a Mound, an Extensive Landscape Beyond
Artist: Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (German, Haina 1751–1829 Eutin)
Date: mid-18th–early 19th century
Medium: Black chalk or graphite; framing lines in black chalk or graphite
Dimensions: sheet: 7 15/16 x 12 3/4 in. (20.1 x 32.4 cm) [folded]
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Purchase, Didier Aaron Inc. Gift, 2003
Object Number: 2003.100
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein

In the same medium

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Two Caricature Heads of Men, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein German, Pen and brown ink — Two Caricature Heads of Men
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
after 1794

Diomedes, bust and shoulders, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein German, Engraving — Diomedes, bust and shoulders
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
1790–1800

Frontispiece for Heft IV of "Homer nach Antiken gezeichnet", Göttingen: Heinrich Dieterik, 1801–05 and Stuttgart: J. G. Cotta, 1821, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein German, Etching with black chalk; touched proof impression — Frontispiece for Heft IV of "Homer nach Antiken gezeichnet", Göttingen: Heinrich Dieterik, 1801–05 and Stuttgart: J. G. Cotta, 1821
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
ca. 1796

Man's Fortitude, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein German, Pen and black ink, brush and gray wash, over graphite — Man's Fortitude
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
late 18th–early 19th century

A Goose and a Gander with their Goslings Honking in Alarm as Two Foxes with their Cubs Emerge from the Rushes, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein German, Pen and brown ink, brush and brown and gray wash over black chalk, watercolor and bodycolor — A Goose and a Gander with their Goslings Honking in Alarm as Two Foxes with their Cubs Emerge from the Rushes
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein
mid-18th–early 19th century

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