A Behind the Scenes Fieldtrip to The Museum of Fine Arts Houston

October 16, 2015
My life drawing class at The Glassell School of Art had a fabulous behind the scenes field trip to the archives at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.  My instructor, Mr. Ken Mazzu, arranged this private viewing for us of selected figure drawings that the museum has in secure climate and light controlled storage.  These works are not currently on display at the museum.  Prior to this trip, I was not aware that it was possible to have access to these works.  Unless the selected works are restricted at the time of the request, a museum curator will pull the works and arrange them for viewing in a private room on the second floor of the museum.  We had to leave our bags and purses in lock boxes prior to entry through a controlled access door.  We received instructions from the curator with regard to protecting the works from damage.  Most of the drawings we saw were not behind glass or any other protective cover.  The basic rules were: (1) absolutely do not touch the works, (2) do not to not exhale, sneeze or cough in close proximity to the works, (3) no flash photography was allowed and generally we just had to be very careful and respectful of the work.  Some of these drawings were over 500 years old and very fragile. Pretty cool stuff! Mr. Mazzu pointed out the many drawing techniques used by these master artists.  It was a learning experience.  Thanks Ken, and thanks to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston!

This is our life drawing class visiting the museum.

School of Jacopo Bassano, Italian ( Venetian ), c. 1510 - 1592 Drawing of a Male Torso Charcoal on blue paper

Leonardo Scaglia, Italian ( Imbrian, Perugian ), active 1640 - 1650 Conder of Putti, no date Pen and ink and wash on laid paper, partial watermark laid down on wove paper

Edgar Degas, French, 1834 - 1917 Etude - Homme Nu Couche ( Study of a Reclining Male Nude ) 1856 - 1858 Graphite on cream colored paper

Charles Maurin, French, 1856 - 1914 Interior, no date Charcoal, chalk, and pencil on paper

Henry Somm, French, 1844 - 1907 Untitled, no date Crayon on wove paper

Adolph Menzel, German, born Poland, 1815 - 1905 Study of a Man with a Beard, His Hand in His Pocket, 1885 Graphite on paper

Roberto Montenegro, Mexican, 1885 - 1968 Malos Noticios ( Bad News ) , 1939 Graphite on paper

Alexander Archipenko, American, born Russia, 1887 - 1964 Untitled, 1921 -1923

Frederic Remington, American, 1861 - 1909 The Cowboy, c. 1897 Watercolor of paper

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German, 1880 - 1938 Nude, 1909 Charcoal and charcoal wash on paper

Sterling Allen, American, born 1961, Untitled (Axe Man), 2005 Graphite on paper

Vik Muniz, Brazilian, born 1961 Photograph #9, 1994 Watercolor, watercolor pencil, and casein on paper

Domenico Cresti, called II Passignano, Italian, 1559 - 1638 The Head of a Youth, c. 1600 - 1625 Red chalk on laid paper

Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French, 1725 - 1805 Reclining Female Nude: Study for "Angina visited by Jupiter", c. 1767 Red chalk on laid paper

Everett Shinn, American, 1876 - 1953 New York Theater, 1929 Graphite, watercolor and charcoal on lined wove paper

Thomas Hart Benton, American, 1889 - 1975 Gina May, no date Pen and ink with watercolor over graphite on paper

Alfred Stevens, Belgian, 1823 - 1906 Mademoiselle de Clemont-Tonnerre, 1865 Black chalk and watercolor over graphite on wove paper

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, German, 1880 - 1938, Nude, 1909 Charcoal and charcoal wash on paper

Andre Derain, French, 1880 - 1954 Seated Nude, no date Rec chalk on paper

Kenit Oliver, American, born 1943 Susannah and the Elders, 1986 Acrylic on paper

Joseph Marie Vien, French, 1716 - 1809 A Young Man Seated in Oriental Costume, 1748 Chalk on laid paper

Giacomo Manzu, Italian, 1908 - 1991 Untitled, 1948 Graphite on paper

Egon Schiele, Austrian, 1890 - 1918 Girl in Red Robe and Black Stockings, 1911 Watercolor and praphite on paper

Camille Pissarro, French, 1830 - 1903 Brenton Woman Carrying Hay, no date Chalk with dilute ink wash on faded wove paper

Ewan Gibbs, English, born 1973 Cleveland, 2007 Graphite on graph paper

Bert samples, American, born 1955 Lady with a Turtle, c. 1983 Graphite on paper

Grant Wood, American, 1891 - 1942 Saturday Night Bath, 1937 Charcoal on paper

John Singer Sargent, American, born Italy, 1856 - 1925 The Model, c. 1878 - 1879 Watercolor over graphite pencil on wove paper