Anatomically Speaking: Life Drawing from the GW Collection

September 20-December 7, 2024

Drawing from life is an important lesson in the academic tradition of fine arts training and a continuing practice for many professional artists.  The GW Collection holds a number of very fine life drawings from all levels of artistic practice.  Anchored by a monumental painting by Lowell Nesbitt, the exhibition features two works from a recent gift of sketches by the late-professor emeriti Arthur Hall Smith.  Also included are works by Pietro Lazzari, Joe Shannon, and Manon Cleary.

Life drawing requires an understanding of human anatomy, artists have even been known to attend dissections and surgical theaters in order to gain a more thorough understanding of this subject.  The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632 by Rembrandt van Rijn and Thomas Eakins’ The Gross Clinic from 1875 are two, well-known examples of an artist’s depiction of these procedures. The exciting twist on this exhibition is the label text.  Written by second-year medical students from the GW Medical School this exhibit taps into their expertise in the anatomy of the human body.

Research and writing for this exhibition was provided by the students in Dr. Linda Raphael's Medical Humanities class of 2nd year medical students. Support for this exhibition is provided by the following:

Frances and Leonard Burka Fund for the Arts

Luther W. Brady Art Gallery Director's Discretionary Endowment

Friends of the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery       

Image: Arthur Hall Smith, Untitled, 2010, sumi ink and pen on paper, 11-1/8" x 18-1/2". Gift of the Estate of Arthur Hall Smith courtesy of Holly Trostle Brigham and David Brigham, 2020. P.2020.4.2