Drawings made to help their makers visualise thought

Drawings made to help their makers visualise thought

  • First Concept of a Front-wheel Drive, Transverse-engine Vehicle

    First Concept of a Front-Wheel Drive, Transverse-Engine Vehicle, Alec Issigonis, 1956. Museum no. E.210-1992

    First Concept of a Front-Wheel Drive, Transverse-Engine Vehicle
    Alec Issigonis (1906–1988)
    Britain
    1956
    Ballpoint pen and pencil on wove paper
    Width 25.3 cm x height 32.9 cm
    Museum no. E.210-1992
    Bequeathed by the designer

    This sketch helped Issigonis to think through his ideas for the design of a car along new principles.

  • Sketch of the Pilgrim for' Love and the Pilgrim'

    Sketch of the Pilgrim for' Love and the Pilgrim', Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1869. Museum no. E.1613-1926

    Sketch of the Pilgrim for 'Love and the Pilgrim'
    Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898)
    Britain
    1869
    Chalk on paper
    Sketchbook width 14.6 cm x height 26.2 cm
    Museum no. E.1613-1926

    This figure is draped in the finished composition but on this sheet the artist has tried out variations of the pose with the figure naked. The finished composition is known as a painting on which the artist worked for some twenty years and as an embroidery.

  • First Thoughts for the Building for the Great Exhibition of 1851

    First Thoughts for the Building for the Great Exhibition of 1851, Joseph Paxton, 1850. Museum no. E.575-1985

    First Thoughts for the Building for the Great Exhibition of 1851
    Joseph Paxton (1791-1865)
    Britain
    1850
    Ink on blotting paper
    Width 28 cm x height 39.1 cm
    Museum no. E.575-1985

    Paxton had these thoughts during a board meeting of the Midland Railway, hence the doodle on blotting paper. The sketches show a cross section and a side elevation.

  • Christ Crowned with Thorns

    Christ Crowned with Thorns, Anthony Van Dyke, about 1620. Museum no. Dyce 525

    Christ Crowned with Thorns
    Anthony Van Dyke (1599-1641)
    Belgium
    About 1620
    Ink and brown wash on laid paper
    Width 20.7 cm x height 23.3 cm
    Museum no. Dyce 525

    This is one of several studies that Van Dyke made for this subject of which he made two paintings. The studies enabled him to experiment with the content, structure and mood of the final paintings. Ultimately the subject was treated with greater restraint than in this study. The sketch was thus made as part of his thinking towards the finished composition.

  • Studies for the painting ‘The death of Decius Mus’

    Studies for the painting ‘The death of Decius Mus’, Peter Paul Rubens, about 1617. Museum no. Dyce 516

    Studies for the painting ‘The death of Decius Mus’
    Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
    Netherlands
    About 1617
    Black chalk, heightened with white on laid paper
    Width 31 cm x height 41.2 cm
    Museum no. Dyce 516

    The vigorously drawn studies on this sheet show the painter experimenting freely with various arm movements which are key features in the finished painting.

  • Design for an altar

    Design for an altar, Francesco di Simone, about 1460-1490. Museum no. 4903

    Design for an altar
    Francesco di Simone (1437-1493)
    Italy
    About 1460-1490
    Black chalk, ink and wash on laid paper
    Width 28 cm x height 44.5 cm
    Museum no. 4903

    There are seven known drawings by Simone (including two others in the V&A’s collection) which show him trying out different combinations of tabernacles and altars as if he were trying to work out the most elegant solution.

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