Eastman Johnson (American, 1824–1906). <em>Anatomy Sketchbook</em>, 1849. Graphite on beige, medium weight, slightly textured laid paper, Sketchbook: 17 1/8 x 11 1/16 x 3/8 in. (43.5 x 28.1 x 1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Albert Duveen, 40.61 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.61_page00_cover_front_IMLS_PS4.jpg)

Eastman Johnson (American, 1824–1906). Anatomy Sketchbook, 1849. Graphite on beige, medium weight, slightly textured laid paper, Sketchbook: 17 1/8 x 11 1/16 x 3/8 in. (43.5 x 28.1 x 1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Albert Duveen, 40.61 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.61_page00_cover_front_IMLS_PS4.jpg)

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Anatomy Sketchbook

Eastman Johnson

American Art

Eastman Johnson used this sketchbook while enrolled in an anatomy class at the Düsseldorf Royal Academy in Germany. The meticulous, almost scientific precision of his skeleton studies reveals the school’s emphasis on draftsmanship and anatomical knowledge as fundamental tools for the artist. Many of the drawings include grids and other geometric guidelines, as well as notations about ideal proportions of the human body. Johnson parlayed his academic training into a successful career as a painter of American genre subjects.

ARTIST Eastman Johnson, American, 1824–1906

MEDIUM Graphite on beige, medium weight, slightly textured laid paper

DATES 1849

DIMENSIONS Sketchbook: 17 1/8 x 11 1/16 x 3/8 in. (43.5 x 28.1 x 1 cm) (show scale)

INSCRIPTIONS Inscribed on label on front cover of book: "E Johnson / Royal Academy of Düsseldorf / Anatomical class. / 1849"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 40.61

CREDIT LINE Gift of Albert Duveen

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Sketchbook of 21 leaves bound between cardboard covers lined with dark brown marbled paper. Contains the following anatomical sketches: Inside front cover: sketch of man's head Page 1: gridded studies of skull and top and profile view of bones of foot Page 2: color notations, including "light blues", "light yellow", "dark", "dark bluish", "blue", "[illegible] / dark cool" Page 3: sketch of skull Pages 5, 7, & 9: studies of torso of skeleton Page 11: studies of arm bones Pages 13 & 15: studies of leg bone Pages 18-19: gridded outlines of male body (profile, rear, & frontal views) Page 21: several vertical grid lines (no other drawing) Page 23: gridded outline of male body Page 25: gridded outline of female body (front and rear views) Page 26: short list of measurements in upper right Page 27-28: page missing (cut out) Page 29: inscription at top of page, "Venus of Milo 66 inches high -- From the [facis?] to line D 15 1/2 in. ... " [long list of proportional measurements] Remaining pages blank

EXHIBITIONS

Fine Lines: American Drawings from the Brooklyn Museum

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Eastman Johnson (American, 1824–1906). Anatomy Sketchbook, 1849. Graphite on beige, medium weight, slightly textured laid paper, Sketchbook: 17 1/8 x 11 1/16 x 3/8 in. (43.5 x 28.1 x 1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Albert Duveen, 40.61 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 40.61_page00_cover_front_IMLS_PS4.jpg)

IMAGE overall, front cover, 40.61_page00_cover_front_IMLS_PS4.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2010

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RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions

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