Getty Museum

Interior of Abbey of Aramont

Date

1869

Medium

Brush with brown wash and watercolor and white gouache over graphite

Culture

French

Department

Drawings

Institution

Getty Museum

Object ID

94fd6191-286e-4e35-93ce-9b2ad99c8812

François Bonvin used delicate modulations of light and shadow to impart a meditative mood to this drawing of the interior of Aramont Abbey. The dynamic angles of the wooden pews and of the rear wall on the left of the drawing lead the viewer's eye to a light-filled side chapel. Along the right side of the drawing, repetitive vertical lines emphasize the interior's elevation. While the church's wooden pews fill the foreground, an organ accentuates the rear wall. The lack of any human presence seems to underscore that this space is meant for personal reflection. Bonvin used many materials to heighten the drawing's sense of perspective and mood. Pen, brown ink, and black chalk outline the church's details. Watercolor fills in the rear wall, the ceiling in the background, and the pews. White gouache highlights the columns and arches in the foreground. In many ways, this finely detailed drawing recalls the work of Pieter Saenredam, Bonvin's predecessor in painting church interiors.

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