About this artwork
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein experimented with animal physiognomy in many drawings. Inspired by the Swiss philosopher Johann Kaspar Lavater, the artist believed a person’s character depended on the animal he resembled. As Tischbein wrote in 1796, “I have undertaken another [series of drawings] in order to learn more about man. To make this study easier it is necessary to begin with beasts, since they are easier and their characters more evident.” Traditionally busy animals, these furry beavers exhibit human expressions as they focus diligently on the difficult task of stemming an exuberant waterfall.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Wilhelm Tischbein
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Title
- Three Beavers Building a Dam
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Place
- Germany (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- Made 1795–1805
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Medium
- Watercolor, pen and brown ink, and touches of black chalk, on cream laid paper, laid down on ivory laid paper, with a pieced overlapping border toned with brown watercolor
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Inscriptions
- Inscribed recto, upper right, in graphite: "38" [changed to 58]; verso, lower left, in pen and black ink: "Th.V.58."
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Dimensions
- Primary support: 32.5 × 40.2 cm (12 13/16 × 15 7/8 in.); Sheet with border: 40.5 × 47.9 cm (16 × 18 7/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Dorothy Braude Edinburg to the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Memorial Collection
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Reference Number
- 2013.1034
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/186414/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.