What a gift!

The Columbus Museum announced today that it acquired a fabulous collection of American drawings, including, "Portrait of Gladys Thayer" by Abbott Handerson Thayer (above). It's pencil on white woven paper, and created in 1897.

If you saw the exhibit, "Tracing the Nation," earlier this year, you know what an exceptional collection of drawings this is.

The collection was originally owned by Paul Magriel, who was a visionary collector. He bought American drawings during the 1960s and early 1970s when these works were accessible and affordable. 

It was later purchased by Claire and Joseph Flom of New York City.

The collection includes 105 drawings and features artists like Thayer, Raphael Peale, Henry Inman, Sanford R. Gifford, Jasper F. Cropsey, Winslow Homer, William Paxton, Theodore Robinson, William Glackens and Ben Shahn.

The media include pencil, charcoal, watercolor, gouache, pastel, ink and silverpoint.

I didn't realize it, or either I forgot, that when the exhibit was here, it was the first time it had been on display. Ever.

The collection was made possible by members of the museum's 105 Society and a grant from the Mildred Miller Fort Foundation.

Another thing I didn't realize is that even though the museum has collected drawings since it opened in 1953, the bulk of the drawing collection dates back to 2002. That's when the museum acquired the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Philip L. Brewer of Columbus. The collection became an exhibit called "Lines of Discovery: 225 Years of American Drawings." 

With the acquisition of the Magriel/Flom collection, our own museum becomes a force in the United States as far as American drawings go.

Pretty cool, huh?