Gifford Beal sketches, sketchbooks and papers, 1889-2001, bulk 1900-1954

Loose sketches are found in a variety of media including pencil, ink, charcoal, pastel, and watercolor, and are generally unsigned and undated. Subjects are similar to those found in sketchbooks, although loose sketches are found on a variety of supports including wood board, carbon paper, and canvas. Most sketches on paper are arranged by broad subject categories, listed in the folder listing. A 1928 sketch signed illegibly by an artist other than Beal is found with Figure sketches. Most of the sketches have been digitized, however, items too large or too fragile to be handled have not been scanned.

Sketches on supports other than paper are filed separately. Sketches on carbon paper seem to have been made as a preliminary process and re-used. Large pastel and ink sketches on board range from studies to finished drawings, including several genre scenes that may have been preliminary drawings for Beal's murals. Oil sketches on board range in size from approximately 3x5 to 11x17 inches and include landscapes, marine subjects, still lifes and figures. Unlike other loose sketches, almost all of the oil sketches on wood board are signed or initialed, and one is dated 1914. Pastel drawings on canvas may have been preliminary drawings, or cartoons, for murals. All depict dancing figures in a romantic style, and one canvas is signed by Beal.

Additional sketches are found in the Print Materials series, and scattered illustrated letters are found in Correspondence.

The bulk of this series has been scanned with the exception of large format pastel drawings, mural studies and sketches on carbon paper.