The origin of the word vignette (French for “little vine”) stems from drawings of thin, intricate vines used as decorative borders printed on page separators in books. “Vignette” also refers to a descriptive sketch of a character, object, or theme.

Vignettes: Masterworks on Paper 1520 to 1870 presents more than 45 works on paper, almost half of which are recent acquisitions. The prints, drawings, and illustrated books are featured in various themes: drawing after the antique, saintly visions, landscapes, the connection between art and literature, engraved portraits, and the treatment of animals.

The exhibition showcases the myriad ways artists from four European regions and over four centuries used paper to make art, underlining the integral relationship between eye, hand, and mind. Among the artists represented in Vignettes are Baccio Bandinelli, Eugène Delacroix, Guercino, Ford Madox Brown, and Rembrandt.