Claude Mellan

Mariette aimed to mount the drawings in his collection on uniform mats of standard dimensions—usually around 20 x 15 inches (510 x 380 mm). Having the drawings similarly matted gave aesthetic unity to the collection and facilitated the organization of the sheets in portfolios. He often combined several small studies by a single artist on the same mat, as with these two rare chalk landscapes by Claude Mellan, an artist best known as an engraver and portraitist.