A journey through drawings by groundbreaking nineteenth-century artists who left the studio to look outside for inspiration

Featuring over 150 drawings and watercolors by some of the nineteenth century’s most celebrated artists, On Location: Drawing the Outdoors investigates a monumental shift in artistic practice: the moment artists stepped outside the studio for inspiration and understanding. From Edouard Manet and William Blake to Paul Cézanne and Caspar David Friedrich, this publication includes works by artists spanning national and regional schools across Europe.

Guiding readers on an artistic expedition, this publication charts ten trails or thematic pathways through the collection, replicating the thrill of outdoor exploration and encompassing the rich variety of nature’s subjects. By tracing patterns of artistic experience, the obstacles and opportunities encountered outside, and the materiality and techniques of nineteenth-century works, the book asks critical questions—what constitutes a landscape, and what does it mean to draw the outdoors rather than to draw while outdoors?—and invites readers to consider these works in the context of contemporary issues of environmentalism, the relationship between art and technology, and more.

Distributed for the Harvard Art Museums

Exhibition Schedule:

Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA
(September 18, 2026–January 17, 2027)

Joachim Homann is Maida and George Abrams Curator of Drawings at the Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA.