Collection
/
American Art

Sunset

Ralph Albert Blakelock

Brooklyn Museum photograph

Object Label

Although Blakelock is better known for his eccentric, moonlit landscapes, he did practice conventional sketching in the manner of Hudson River School painters. In this sheet torn from a sketchbook, the artist captured the general composition in pencil, probably en plein air, and then painted over the initial sketch. His pencil outlines and descriptive notations—such as “warm gray” and “floating cirrus”—are still visible through the watercolor in the clouds.

Caption

Ralph Albert Blakelock (American, 1847–1919). Sunset, July 1, 1876. Transparent and opaque watercolors and graphite on cream wove paper, 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (16.5 x 10.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. E. Le Grand Beers in memory of Edwin Beers , 27.9. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

American Art

Title

Sunset

Date

July 1, 1876

Geography

Place made: United States

Medium

Transparent and opaque watercolors and graphite on cream wove paper

Classification

Vessel

Dimensions

6 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (16.5 x 10.8 cm)

Signatures

Signed lower right: "R A Blakelock"

Inscriptions

Pencil inscriptions and color notations throughout sheet, some are obscured by watercolor and are only visible with infrared photography: upper left "floating cirrus / Blue" and "light cloud / back"; upper right "Blue" and "warm gray / against / del. pur [i.e., delicate purple]"; in center "palette edge," "gold" and "warm / Purple"; along bottom edge (obscured by watercolor): "Sunset July 1st. 1876"

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. E. Le Grand Beers in memory of Edwin Beers

Accession Number

27.9

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Artists and makers

Ralph Albert Blakelock

29 works in the collection