Drawings made to provide a pattern or give instructions

Drawings made to provide a pattern or give instructions

  • Cartoon for Stained Glass

    Cartoon for Stained Glass, Ford Madox Brown, about 1860. Museum no. E.2906-1927

    Cartoon for Stained Glass
    Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893)
    Britain
    About 1860
    Pencil and wash on wove paper; squared
    Width 36.2 x height 99.4 cm
    Museum no. E.2906-1927

    This drawing is the same size as the window for which it is the design. Such designs are termed ‘cartoons’. The main wash lines indicate the lead lines. Pencil notes provide colour details.

  • Design for a Bureau Bookcase

    Design for a Bureau Bookcase, Thomas Chippendale, about 1750. Museum no. D.699-1906

    Design for a Bureau Bookcase
    Thomas Chippendale (about 1718-1779)
    Britain
    About 1750
    Ink and wash on laid paper
    Width 14.1 cm x height 31.7 cm
    Museum no. D.699-1906

    This drawing was made for reproduction in Chippendale’s 'Gentleman and cabinet-maker’s director', first published in 1754. It enabled patrons to make selections and craftsmen to find inspiration and guidance for their work.

  • Pattern for the Decoration of a Majolica Dish

    Pattern for the Decoration of a Majolica Dish, Battista Franco (known as Semolei), 16th century. Museum no. 2404

    Pattern for the Decoration of a Majolica Dish
    Battista Franco (known as Semolei) (about 1498-1561)
    Italy
    16th century
    Ink and wash, concentric circles drawn with a compass on laid paper
    Diameter 26 cm
    Museum no. 2404

    A dish is known with the pattern of putti around the rim but it has a different central composition. Only half of the rim pattern is drawn as the majolica painter will have known to paint in a mirror image.

  • Design for Lower Stages of the Tower of Ulm Cathedral

    Design for Lower Stages of the Tower of Ulm Cathedral, attributed to Moritz Ensinger, about 1470. Museum no. 3547

    Design for Lower Stages of the Tower of Ulm Cathedral
    Attributed to Moritz Ensinger (about 1430-1793)
    Germany
    About 1470
    Ink on vellum
    Width 68 cm x height 181 cm
    Museum no. 3547

    Ensinger was the master mason in charge of the cathedral works and this drawing will have been made in order to show how work should proceed. In fact the tower was not completed until the late 19th century and a slightly later drawing formed the basis of its design.

  • How King Arthur Saw the Questing Beast and Therefore Had a Great Marvel

    How King Arthur Saw the Questing Beast and Therefore Had a Great Marvel, Aubrey Beardsley, 1893. Museum no. E.289-1972

    How King Arthur Saw the Questing Beast and Therefore Had a Great Marvel
    Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)
    Britain
    1893
    Ink and wash on wove paper
    Width 27.1 cm x height 37.8 cm
    Museum no. E.289-1972

    This drawing is a design for illustration. It was reproduced photographically and on a smaller scale as the frontispiece to vol.1 of Thomas Malory’s 'Le Morte D’Arthur'.

  • Working Drawing for the Manufacture of a Carving Fork

    Working Drawing for the Manufacture of a Carving Fork, Robert Welch’s workshop, 1964. Museum no. Circ.655-1965

    Working Drawing for the Manufacture of a Carving Fork
    Robert Welch’s workshop
    Britain
    1964
    Ink on wove tracing paper
    Width 47.4 cm x height 35.1 cm
    Museum no. Circ.655-1965

    This drawing shows the guard movement of the fork. It is one of a series of precise actual size construction guides to the manufacturer of the final prototype from which the dies for the carving set were cut. Nine more related drawings are in the V&A’s collection.

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