Special Exhibition Review: French Drawings from Weimar

Excuse me, please, for truncating the title a bit. The full name of this special exhibition at The Frick Collection is From Callot to Greuze: French Drawings from Weimar, and it's a beaut. Stan Parchin, intrepid Senior Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, has - of course - "been there" and "done that," and dishes the dirt on why all of these drawings by French artists are housed in Germany. (Maybe it's just me, but the background information Stan always provides strikes me as fascinating - possibly more so, in many cases, than the works themselves.) I must confess, too, that I find the Rococo much less ... what's the proper word, here? ... well, let's just say I don't pull a face (that looks absolutely hideous on a middle-aged woman) when viewing it in black and white. (Again, just me.) Thank you, as always, Mr. Parchin, for yet another knowledgeable, virtual voyage through an exhibition many of us won't have the opportunity to view in person.

Incidentally, if you are interested in even more knowledgeable words about one of the artists featured in this exhibition, be sure to check out About Drawing/Sketching Guide Helen South's feature on the drawings of Boucher. As with our review here, Helen points out that Boucher's finished French Rococo paintings were very different animals from his masterful, easily overlooked draftsmanship. More importantly, she goes into detail on exactly why his draftsmanship was so good - even to the point of being ahead of its time. Astute work, Mrs. South. Hat tip, hat tip, dear Drawing Guide. The About network is lucky to have you!