George Ault Sketchbook

Artist George Copeland Ault (American, 1891 - 1948)

Date1924-1946

MediumGraphite on paper

DimensionsOverall: 7 × 11 inches (17.78 × 27.94 cm)

Credit LineGift of Donald Lokuta

Object number2014.38.6

SignedInterior front cover, upper left, G. C. Ault, Paris, June 1924. Each drawing is either signed or initialed and dated in graphite: 1. Lower left, G. C. Ault ‘24 2. Lower left, G. C. A. ‘44 3. Lower right, G. C. Ault ‘41 4. Lower left, G. C. A. ‘41 5. Lower right, G. C. Ault ‘42 6. Lower left, G. C. A. ‘43 7. Lower right, G. C. A. ‘44 8. Unsigned, lower left dated Jan. ’46

InscribedInscriptions on the drawing are as follows: 1. Lower left, “Paris.” 2. Lower left, “Clouds.” 3. Lower right, “Church, Shady NY.” 4. Lower left, ‘“Dinky.”’ 5. Lower right, “Clouds” 6. Lower left, “Clouds” 8. Lower left, ‘“Gothic Arch”’

On View

Not on view

Collections

American Art

Terms

DescriptionThis sketchbook is bound with a brown paper cover and contains eight graphite drawings. In order they include a loose line drawing of trees in front of houses, with the foreground partially obscured by a tree trunk. This drawing is signed and dated in the lower left corner: “G. C. Ault ’24. / Paris.” The second drawing is a shaded abstract form that grows from the upper left corner of the page and extends down, touching the right of the page. This drawing is titled, initialed, and dated: “Clouds. / G. C. A. ’44.” The third page contains a small, angular church building precisely drawn against a quickly sketched hill with a grove of angular trees. It is signed and dated: “G. C. Ault ’41. / Church, Shady NY.” The fourth drawing is a contour line drawing of a cat with shaded body and background, centered on the page. This drawing is titled, initialed, and dated: “‘Dinky’ / G. C. A. ’41.” The fifth drawing is an abstract landscape with a landmass defined through a single contour line and shading, a clear sky immediately above the landmass, and at the top of the page an intermittently shaded sky. It is titled, initialed, and dated: “Clouds / G. C. A. – ’48.” The sixth, abstract sketch includes quickly rendered clouds with a bolt of lightning extending toward two lines crossing the lower third of the page. It is titled, initialed, and dated: “Clouds / G. C. A. ’43.” The seventh drawing is a curling mass of shading sweeping along the left of the page and into the unshaded middle region, above a lower portion defined by a contour line and additional heavy shading. This drawing is initialed and dated: “G. C. A. ’44.” The eighth drawing includes four linear, precisely drawn trees emerging from loosely drawn brush. The drawing is titled and dated: “‘Gothic Arch’ / Jan. ’46.”

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