Noted collectors Eugene V. and Clare Thaw announced today the intention to give their collection of 135 oil sketches jointly to The Morgan Library & Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Thaws are longtime donors to both institutions and Mr. Thaw is a trustee of the Morgan and an honorary trustee of the Metropolitan Museum.

Oil sketches are a fertile field of art historical inquiry. Mostly executed on paper adhered to canvas, they occupy a place literally between paintings and drawings. These small-scale works reveal artists’ explorations of form, light, and color, and reflect the challenge of capturing the ephemeral elements of nature.