Jacques Schultz-Dal (1894 – 1964), Study of a Portfolio for Drawings

This unusual work by Jacques Schultz-Dal presents a rare and highly appealing subject : a portfolio for drawings, one of the most intimate objects of the artist’s studio and of the world of works on paper.

Rather than depicting a figure, a landscape or an interior, Schultz-Dal turns his attention to the very object that protects, gathers and preserves drawings. The subject gives the sheet a quiet, almost poetic resonance, evoking both the artist’s practice and the hidden accumulation of works that such a portfolio may contain.

Executed in charcoal with white heightening, the drawing reveals the refinement of Schultz-Dal’s graphic sensibility. The deep, velvety passages of charcoal convey the weight and texture of the portfolio, while the sharp white highlights animate the folds, edges and worn surfaces. The hanging ties, the compressed papers and the slightly irregular outline give the object a striking sense of presence.

At once modest in subject and refined in execution, this drawing may be seen as a discreet homage to the art of drawing itself. Its rare and intimate motif makes it especially attractive to collectors who appreciate the poetry of artists’ materials and the quiet beauty of works on paper.


Jacques Schultz-Dal
Paris, 1894 to 1964

Study of a Portfolio for Drawings
Monogrammed centre right : J.S.D
Charcoal with white heightening on paper
23.5 x 12.5 cm
9 1/4 x 4 7/8 in

Provenance
Artist’s studio sale.
Private collection, Paris.