Gathered Leaves: Discoveries from the Drawings Vault

A Collection Over a Century in the Making

Explore Canada’s premier collection of international drawings and experience never-before-seen artworks pulled directly from the vault. Established in 1921, the National Gallery of Canada’s Department of Prints and Drawings is the first of its kind in the country, with a renowned and constantly growing collection of historical drawings spanning the 15th to the 20th centuries. Featuring works in every medium—from graphite and ink to pastel and watercolour—this extraordinary collection offers a rare chance to view pieces by celebrated artists such as Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Théodore Géricault, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Wassily Kandinsky, and many more. Among these are newly acquired works and lesser-known but historically significant drawings that are typically kept out of public view for conservation reasons. The diverse selection includes preparatory studies for paintings, explorations of history and mythology, portraits, landscapes, abstract experiments, and poignant reflections on the human condition.