Drawn to Life: Master Drawings from the Age of Rembrandt in the Peck Collection at the Ackland Art Museum

Drawn to Life: Master Drawings from the Age of Rembrandt in the Peck Collection at the Ackland Art Museum features over 70 exceptional Dutch drawings from the 17th century, many previously unpublished and rarely exhibited. A number of drawings by Rembrandt van Rijn, the most celebrated artist of this period, and his pupils, represent a particular highlight of the exhibition. Since drawings are sensitive to light and can only be displayed for short periods of time, this exhibition is a rare occasion not to be missed. Following its run at the Ackland, Drawn to Life will travel to the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam from March 18-June 11, 2023.

Drawn to Life is the first major exhibition of the Peck Collection since its donation by the late Drs. Sheldon and Leena Peck. The Pecks’ transformative gift of over 130 largely 17th- and 18th-century Dutch and Flemish drawings in 2017 established the Ackland as one of a handful of university art museums in the United States where scholars and students can study northern European drawings in depth.

Drawn to Life brings together a broad selection of images depicting landscapes, everyday life, portraits, preparatory studies, and biblical and historical scenes, forming a dynamic and representative group of drawings made by some of the most outstanding artists of the period. Drawings by well-known artists, such as Jacob van Ruisdael, Jan van Goyen, Adriaen van Ostade, Ferdinand Bol, Nicolaes Maes, Jan Lievens, and Gerard ter Borch, among others, appear alongside sheets by lesser-known artists like Guillam Du Bois, Herman Naiwincx, Willem Romeyn, and Jacob van der Ulft, demonstrating the discerning eye for quality developed by the Pecks over four decades.

Organized around five thematic groupings, including Artists at Work; The Traveling Artist; The New Landscape; Mirror of the Everyday; and Rembrandt and his Followers, Drawn to Life celebrates the creativity and technical skills of Dutch artists who explored the beauty of the natural world and the dynamic, multifaceted aspects of humanity.

An accompanying catalogue, meticulously researched and written by Ackland Peck Research Fellow Robert Fucci, Ph.D., and published by Paul Holberton Publishing, introduces scholars and drawing enthusiasts to the depth and beauty of the Peck Collection. A website devoted to the entire Peck Collection, which will feature superior image viewing capabilities and up-to-date information, will launch at the time of the exhibition.

Drawn to Life: Master Drawings from the Age of Rembrandt in the Peck Collection at the Ackland Art Museum is curated by Dana Cowen, Ph.D., Sheldon Peck Curator for European and American Art before 1950, and Robert Fucci, Ph.D.

Exhibition-Related Public Programs

Friday, Sept. 23, 2022| 3:30 p.m. | Free; RSVP required
Curators’ Introduction to Drawn to Life SOLD OUT
With Dana Cowen, Sheldon Peck Curator for European and American Art before 1950, and Robert Fucci, Peck Collection Research Fellow

Sunday, Sept 25, 2022 | 1-5 p.m. | Free
Ackland F.A.M: Dutch Drawingfest
Live animation of Drawn to Life works by Stella Rosalie Rosen, beginner sketching in the galleries with Daniel Hammer, F.A.M. Art Kits, and more.

Saturday, October 8, 2022 | 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. | $5/Free for Ackland Members; RSVP required
Art Adventures: Architectural Drawing inspired by Drawn to Life
Art-inspired art-making for 6-9 year olds

Saturday, October 8, 2022 | 10:30 a.m. | $5/Free for Ackland Members; RSVP required
Drawing for Tweens
Intro to drawing techniques for 10-13 year olds

Saturday, October 8, 2022 | 2-3 p.m. | Free; Chapel of the Cross, 304 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
Musical Performance: Dutch Keyboard and Viol Music
With Joseph Causby (organ), Brent Wissick (bass viol), and the UNC Consort of Viols. Post-performance curator-led tour of Drawn to Life to follow at the Ackland at 3:30 p.m.

Friday, October 14, 2022 | 5-9 p.m.
2nd Friday ArtWalk: Acktoberfest Art, Beer, and Cheese Pairings
Craftboro Brewing beer, cheese from local makers, curator-led mini tours of Drawn to Life, and still-life drawing stations.

Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 6 p.m. | Free; RSVP requested
Special Lecture by Wayne Franits
Public talk by distinguished professor Wayne Franits (Syracuse University), specialist in seventeenth century Dutch and Flemish Art
Hosted by the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Art and Art History

Saturday, November 12, 2022 | 10:30 a.m. | $5/Free for Ackland Members; RSVP required
Drawing for Tweens
Intro to drawing techniques for 10-13 year olds

Friday, Dec 9, 2022 | 3:30 – 5 p.m. | Ticket info at humanities.unc.edu
The Soul of the Dutch Golden Age: Art and Literature at the Ackland
Discussion of The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Segal, led by Dana Cowen and Carolyn Allmendinger
Cosponsored by Carolina Public Humanities

Image Credit:
Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606-1669, Landscape with Canal and Boats, c. 1655, pen and brown ink with brown wash, 4 1/16 × 8 in. (10.3 × 20.3 cm), The Peck Collection, 2017.1.67.