Fragment from a copy of St Gregory's manuscript 'Moralia in Job'

Fragment from a copy of St Gregory's manuscript 'Moralia in Job', Unknown, 12th century. Museum no. 8984a

Fragment from a copy of St Gregory's manuscript 'Moralia in Job
Unknown,
France
12th century
Ink and water-colour on parchment
Width 14.2 cm x height 16 cm
Museum no. 8984a

This decorated letter provides an opportunity to consider the relationship between writing and drawing. Its decorations are drawn in outline. The emphasis on the linear in definitions of drawing may be influenced by the nature of drawing being largely linear in its use before the Renaissance.

Design for a Woven Silk

Design for a Woven Silk, Unknown, Italy, 1375-about 1399. Museum no. 2328

Design for a Woven Silk
Unknown
Italy
1375-about 1399
Bistre ink on vellum
Width 14.4 cm x height 17.3 cm
Museum no. 2328

An example of the use of vellum for a working drawing before paper was plentiful in Europe.

Design for an Altar

Design for an Altar, Francesco di Simone, Italy, about 1460-90. Museum no. 4903

Design for an Altar
Francesco di Simone (1437-1493)
Italy
About 1460-90
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.

Design for Lower Stages of the Tower of Ulm Cathedral

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

Design for Lower Stages of the Tower of Ulm Cathedral
Probably by Moritz Ensinger (about 1430-93)
Germany
About 1470
Ink on vellum
Width 68 cm x 181cm
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.

Venus and Cupid Trampling on a Serpent

Venus and Cupid Trampling on a Serpent, probably by Bernardo Parentino, Italy, late 15th or early 16th century. Museum no. Dyce 149

Venus and Cupid Trampling on a Serpent
Probably by Bernardo Parentino (1437-1531)
Italy
Late 15th or early 16th century
Ink on vellum
Width 17.1 cm x height 24.2 cm
Museum no. Dyce 149

This drawing provides a good example of how ink rests on the surface of vellum rather than getting sucked into it, creating crisp fine lines.

Studies of Michelangelo’s Lost Group of Samson Slaying Two Philistines

Studies of Michelangelo’s Lost Group of Samson Slaying Two Philistines, School of Jacopo Tintoretto, 16th century. Museum no. Dyce 237

Studies of Michelangelo’s Lost Group of Samson Slaying Two Philistines
School of Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594)
Italy
16th century
Black chalk heightened with white on faded blue laid paper
Width 28.3 cm x height 36.1cm
Museum no. Dyce 237

Tintoretto’s studio was stocked with casts of sculpture and he and his school drew regularly from them.

Five Studies of Male Nudes, on One Sheet

Five Studies of Male Nudes, on One Sheet, Bartolomeo Passarotti, 16th century. Museum no. Dyce 159

Five Studies of Male Nudes, on One Sheet
Bartolomeo Passarotti (1529-1592)
Italy
16th century
Ink on laid paper
Width 26 cm x height 41.9 cm
Museum no. Dyce 159

The sheet is an example of the artist exploring the musculature of the same model in a variety of poses.

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.

Head of a Young Man

Head of a Young Man, Franciabigio, Francesco di Cristofano, early 16th century. Museum no. D.1010-1900

Head of a Young Man
Franciabigio, Francesco di Cristofano (about 1482-1525)
Italy
Early 16th century
Black chalk with touches of white
Width 20.6 cm x height 25.1cm
Museum no. D.1010-1900

Here black chalk is used both as a linear and a modeling medium.

Study for the Head of Jesus in the Painting of the Holy Family, Palazzo Barberini, Rome

Study for the Head of Jesus in the Painting of the Holy Family, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, Andrea del Sarto, early 16th century. Museum no. D.1705-1885

Study for the Head of Jesus in the Painting of the Holy Family, Palazzo Barberini, Rome
Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530)
Italy
Early 16th century
Red chalk on laid paper
Width 11.7 cm x height 14.5 cm
Museum no. D.1705-1885

Andrea del Sarto showed a preference for red chalk during the last ten years of his life. He was in Paris in 1518, which may have contributed to the enthusiasm with which it was taken up in France.

Design for a Stained Glass Window

Design for a Stained Glass Window, Hans Baldung (called Grien), first half of 16th century. Museum no. E.199-1888

Design for a Stained Glass Window
Hans Baldung (called Grien) (about 1480-1545)
Germany
First half of 16th century
Black and brown inks and red chalk on laid paper
Width 31.5 cm x height 42.9 cm
Museum no. E.199-1888

Most of this drawing is executed in iron-gall ink which has turned brown. The figure in the front has remained black and is therefore likely to be drawn with carbon ink.

Study of Two Male Nudes

Study of Two Male Nudes, Baccio Bandinelli, first half of 16th century. Museum no. Dyce 163

Study of Two Male Nudes
Baccio Bandinelli (1493-1560)
Italy
First half of 16th century
Ink and wash on laid paper
Width 27.6 cm x height 33.3 cm
Museum no. Dyce 163

Baccio Bandinelli ran his own drawing classes. The work of Michelangelo was much copied and he was one of the most assiduous copiers after Michelangelo’s cartoon for the Battle of Cascina.

A Seated Man Holding a Drawing Tablet on His Knee

A Seated Man Holding a Drawing Tablet on His Knee, Fra Bartolommeo (Baccio della Porte), about 1515. Museum no. Dyce 177

A Seated Man Holding a Drawing Tablet on His Knee
Fra Bartolommeo (Baccio della Porte) (1472-1517)
Italy
About 1515
Black chalk on laid paper tinted pink
Width 13 cm x height 20.6 cm
Museum no. Dyce 177

The man represented is holding a drawing tablet, the most common surface on which drawings were made before paper became plentiful.

Head of the Virgin

Head of the Virgin, Marco D’Oggione, about 1520. Museum no. Dyce 222

Head of the Virgin
Marco D’Oggione (died after 1524)
Italy
About 1520
Black chalk on laid paper; pricked for transfer
Width 13.9 cm x height 16.8 cm
Museum no. Dyce 222

This drawing has been pricked along its defining lines. The head is very similar to that of the painting of the Virgin and Child by D’Oggiono in the National Gallery. It is likely that it was pricked to transfer it to the canvas of this painting.

An Angel Holding a Wreath (or a Crown of Thorns) in the Right Hand and a Staff in the Left.

An Angel Holding a Wreath (or a Crown of Thorns) in the Right Hand and a Staff in the Left, Unknown, mid 16th century. Museum no. 8638b

An Angel Holding a Wreath (or a Crown of Thorns) in the Right Hand and a Staff in the Left
Unknown
Mid 16th century
Lead-point or black chalk on laid paper, pre-washed pink
Width 10.1 cm x height 16.5 cm
Museum no. 8638b

An example of a pre-washed paper, the colour of which sets off the delicate lead point beautifully. The grey colour and softness of the line probably indicates that a lead-point was used but led-point is hard to distinguish from some black chalks.

Terracotta Models by Giambologna for the Fountain of the Apennine with a Detail of the Base of the Fountain of Sampson

Terracotta Models by Giambologna for the Fountain of the Apennine with a Detail of the Base of the Fountain of Sampson, Pietro Francavilla, 1560-1602. Museum no. E.695-1993

Terracotta Models by Giambologna for the Fountain of the Apennine with a Detail of the Base of the Fountain of Sampson
Pietro Francavilla
Italy
1560-1602
Ink and chalk on laid paper
Width 10 cm x height 13.7 cm
Museum no. E.695-1993

Francavilla was Giambologna’s assistant and it is thought that he made these drawings as a record of models stored in the studio.

Virgin and Child. A Study for the Madonna di S.Simone in the Galleria Nazionale, Urbino

Virgin and Child. A Study for the Madonna di S.Simone in the Galleria Nazionale, Urbino, Federico Barocci, about 1567. Museum no. Dyce 294

Virgin and Child. A Study for the Madonna di S.Simone in the Galleria Nazionale, Urbino
Federico Barocci (about 1535-1612)
Italy
About 1567
Black and red chalk on laid paper; squared in black chalk and indented with a stylus
Width 13 cm x height 22.2 cm
Museum no. Dyce 294

The squaring is underneath the drawing indicating that the study had been worked up from an earlier sketch. The indentation indicates that its outline was subsequently transferred again.

Seated Male Nude, with his Hands Clasped Over his Left Knee

Seated Male Nude, with his Hands Clasped Over his Left Knee, Jacopo Tintoretto, about 1575. Museum no. Dyce 246

Seated Male Nude, with his Hands Clasped Over his Left Knee
Jacopo Tintoretto
Italy
About 1575
Black chalk on blue laid paper
Width 12.3 cm x height 21.9 cm
Museum no. Dyce 246

An example of relatively unfaded integrally-coloured blue paper.

A Mountainous Landscape with a River

A Mountainous Landscape with a River, Tobias Verhaert, late 16th or early 17th century. Museum no. Dyce 555

A Mountainous Landscape with a River
Tobias Verhaert (1561-1631)
Flanders
Late 16th or early 17th century
Ink and wash with additional blue-grey wash on laid paper
Width 24.7 cm x height 38.5 cm
Museum no. Dyce 555

The effect of distance here is achieved largely through areial perspective. The further away the landscape the smaller its forms and the lighter its tone. The pen strokes also reduce in size in the distance enhancing the effect of perspective. In addition linear perspective is employed in the representation of the river.

Six Studies from Different Viewpoints of an Armless Female Statue

Six Studies from Different Viewpoints of an Armless Female Statue, Domenico Gargiulo (Micco Spadaro), 17th century. Museum no. 2291

Six Studies from Different Viewpoints of an Armless Female Statue
Domenico Gargiulo (Micco Spadaro) (1612 - about 1675)
Italy
17th century
Ink on laid paper
Width 25 cm x height 18 cm
Museum no. 2291

The artist was a painter who specialised in inserting figures into architectural settings.

A Cavalry Skirmish

A Cavalry Skirmish, Giacomo Cortese (Jacques Courtois), 17th century. Museum no. Dyce 202

A Cavalry Skirmish
Giacomo Cortese (Jacques Courtois) known as il Borgognone (1621-1676)
Italy
17th century
Ink over red chalk, with touches of grey wash on laid paper
Width 30.8 cm x height 19 cm
Museum no. Dyce 202

The vigour of the lines and their broad bluntish tips suggest this was drawn mainly with a reed pen.

An Angel in Flight. Study for the Fresco, ‘Ascent to Calvary’, in the Thirty-sixth Chapel on the Sacro Monte de Varallo

An Angel in Flight. Study for the Fresco, ‘Ascent to Calvary’, in the Thirty-sixth Chapel on the Sacro Monte de Varallo, Pier Francesco Morazzone (Mazzucchelli), early 17th century. Museum no. D.577-1887

An Angel in Flight. Study for the Fresco, ‘Ascent to Calvary’, in the Thirty-sixth Chapel on the Sacro Monte de Varallo
Pier Francesco Morazzone (Mazzucchelli) (1571 or 1573-1626)
Italy
Early 17th century
Black chalk with white on pale brown laid paper tinted pink; squared in black chalk
Width 25.7 cm x height 26.4 cm
Museum no. D.577-1887

The squaring is over the drawing. This indicates that it was to be transferred to another support.

Allegorical Figure of a Woman

Allegorical Figure of a Woman, Giovanni Mauro della Rovere, early 17th century. Museum no. D.69-1885

Allegorical Figure of a Woman
Giovanni Mauro della Rovere, called il Fiammenghino (c.1575-1640)
Italy
Early 17th century
Ink and wash heightened with white on blue laid paper
Width 22.2 cm x height 24.2 cm
Museum no. D.69-1885

The integrally blue coloured paper looks as if it is grey as it has also been prepared with a grey wash.

Sheet of Studies Including a Virgin and Child, the Heads of Two Angels, a Youth and a Draped Female

Sheet of Studies Including a Virgin and Child, the Heads of Two Angels, a Youth and a Draped Female, Giulio Cesare Procaccini, early 17th century. Museum no. E.3976-1919

Sheet of Studies Including a Virgin and Child, the Heads of Two Angels, a Youth and a Draped Female
Giulio Cesare Procaccini (1574-1625)
Italy
Early 17th century
Coloured ink washes on laid paper
Width 28.6 cm x height 22.2 cm
Museum no. E.3976-1919

The amount of colour in this image and the fact that it is applied with a brush might preclude it from being categorised as a drawing. On the other hand, the images are represented wholly by a network of lines, one definition of drawing. Brush lines tend like the lines in this drawing to be softer than pen lines and to taper to a point.

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)
Flanders
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.

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 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 far more restraint than in this study. The sketch was thus made as part of his thinking towards the finished composition.

Portrait of an Artist Drawing

Portrait of an Artist Drawing, Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri), about 1610-1660. Museum no. D.988-1900

Portrait of an Artist Drawing
Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) (1591-1666)
Italy
About 1610-1660
Ink on laid paper
Width 18 cm x height 22.2 cm
Museum no. D.988-1900

This drawing is executed totally in line. Note how the chiaroscuro representing the depth of the eye sockets is drawn with short parallel diagonal strokes. The artist is drawing a landscape with a quill pen. Do you think the picture on the easel is a drawing or is it depicting a painting in line?

Virgin and Child with the Cat and the Snake

Virgin and Child with the Cat and the Snake, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1654. Museum no. CAI 646

Virgin and Child with the Cat and the Snake
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)
The Netherlands
1654
Etching on laid paper
Width 14.5 cm x height 9.5 cm
Museum no. CAI 646

Etching is a ‘print’ process whereby the artist ‘draws’ with a needle through a wax ground baring lines on a metal plate. These lines are then etched by acid to make grooves to hold ink from which multiple copies of the linear image can be printed. Such prints are not usually considered drawings although they have been created by an act of drawing.

View Over Flat Country, with Amsterdam in the Distance and a Cottage with Trees Nearby

View Over Flat Country, with Amsterdam in the Distance and a Cottage with Trees Nearby, Rembrandt van Rijn, about 1655. Museum no. E.1359-1970

View Over Flat Country, with Amsterdam in the Distance and a Cottage with Trees Nearby
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)
The Netherlands
About 1655
Bistre ink and wash on brown laid paper
Width 21 cm x height 7.8 cm
Museum no. E.1359-1970

We know that the cottage is nearby because it is much larger than the buildings indicated along the horizon. Thus distance is represented largely through the use of aerial perspective.

Study After an Antique Base Relief

Study After an Antique Base Relief, probably Antonio Domenico Gabbiani, late 17th century. Museum no. 8675b

Study After an Antique Base Relief
Probably Antonio Domenico Gabbiani (1652-1726)
Italy
Late 17th century
Red chalk on laid paper
Width 23.3 cm x height 37.4 cm
Museum no. 8675b

From late in the fifteenth century artists excitedly attended excavations in their search for newly-discovered antique sculptures as models of excellence. This drawing of a damaged relief would have been a routine exercise for a 17th century painter such as Gabbiani during his attendance at the Florentine Academy in Rome.

The Banquet of Anthony and Cleopatra

The Banquet of Anthony and Cleopatra, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 18th century. Museum no. D.1825-1885

The Banquet of Anthony and Cleopatra
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770)
Italy
18th century
Bistre ink and wash over black chalk on laid paper
Width 33.5 cm x height 23.5 cm
Museum no. D.1825-1885

The undissolved brown particles, characteristic of bistre ink, are clearly visible.

A Venetian Villa Terminating an Avenue, with Figures

A Venetian Villa Terminating an Avenue, with Figures, Francesco Guardi, 18th century. Museum no. CAI 413

A Venetian Villa Terminating an Avenue, with Figures
Francesco Guardi (1712-1793)
Italy
18th century
Ink on laid paper
Width 39.7 cm x height 28 cm
Museum no. CAI 413

The converging lines of the avenue are a clear example of linear perspective.

Portrait of an Unknown Man

Portrait of an Unknown Man, Thomas Forster, 1702. Museum no. P.84-1929

Portrait of an Unknown Man
Thomas Forster (worked about 1690-1713)
Britain
1702
Graphite on vellum
Width 8.5 cm x height 10 cm
Museum no. P.84-1929

An example of the use of pure graphite often called plumbago. Even in this soft form it was capable of greater richness and delicacy than any other graphic medium.

Studies of a Man in Oriental Costume

Studies of a Man in Oriental Costume, Antoine Watteau, 1720. Museum no. CAI 258

Studies of a Man in Oriental Costume
Antoine Watteau (1684-1721)
France
1720
Red chalk on laid paper
Size of sheet width 21.5 cm x height 36.6 cm
Museum no. CAI 258

By the 17th century sketches were popular because of the extent to which they provide insight into the artist’s thought processes. As result many artists made sketches specifically for sale. The sketches on this sheet do not relate to any more finished works by Watteau. It is likely they were drawn specifically to cater for the trade in sketches. To what extent is the restriction of a work to one colour an aspect of it being a drawing?

Examples From 162 Drawings of Details of the Raphael Cartoons

Examples From 162 Drawings of Details of the Raphael Cartoons, James Thornhill, 1729-31. Museum no. E.495-1912

Examples From 162 Drawings of Details of the Raphael Cartoons
James Thornhill (1675-1734)
Britain
1729-31
Black chalk, ink and wash on laid paper
Size of volume width 30 cm x height 41cm
Museum no. E.495-1912

Thornhill was active in the struggle for the foundation of a formal Academy of Art in Britain. In 1716 he became governor of the country’s first Academy of Drawing and Painting from Life, set up in 1711. For a short time from 1724 he also ran a free school in his own house. He made large and small sets of copies of Raphael’s cartoons and these studies of details with the intention of publishing them for the use of students. The publication never appeared.

Trompe l’ Oeil Composition

Trompe l’ Oeil Composition, Unknown, mid 18th century. Museum no. E.3307-1948

Trompe l’ Oeil Composition
Unknown
Italy
Mid 18th century
Ink, wash and red chalk on laid paper
Width 29.6 cm x height 21.3 cm
Museum no. E.3307-1948

Here drawing of different kinds is used with such virtuosity that it imitates the look and texture of a variety of different sheets of paper and some coins. You have the impression of actually being in the presence of the sheets rather than of looking at a drawing of them.

A Hall in a Palace with Caryatids Supporting a Gallery.

A Hall in a Palace with Caryatids Supporting a Gallery. Guiseppe Valeriani, about 1745.. Museum no. E.4897-1960

A Hall in a Palace with Caryatids Supporting a Gallery. Design for a stage setting, possibly for the opera Scipio by Francesca Araja, produced at the Court Theatre, St Petersburg, 29 August 1745
Guiseppe Valeriani (1708-1762)
Russia
About 1745
Ink, brown wash and pencil on laid paper
Width 24.5 cm x height 28.1cm
Museum no. E.4897-1960

The back of this drawing has been blackened and the tricky perspective lines of the architecture have been indented. This will have been to facilitate their transfer to another sheet. The caryatids would have been easier to add freehand.

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.

Architectural Capriccio

Architectural Capriccio, Antonio Canal, about 1755. Museum no. E.3771-1934

Architectural Capriccio
Antonio Canal (called Canaletto) (1697-1768)
Italy
About 1755
Ink and wash over pencil on laid paper
Width 25.1cm x height 38.4 cm
Museum no. E.3771-1934

This drawing combines certain features of Montague House, London, with imaginary structures. Many drawings mixing actual buildings with imagined ones are known for such drawings were popular with collectors.

Design for a Monument to General Wolfe

Design for a Monument to General Wolfe, John Michael Rysbrack, about 1760. Museum no. E.277-1973

Design for a Monument to General Wolfe
John Michael Rysbrack
Britain
About 1760
Ink, wash and water-colour on laid paper
Width 24.3 cm x height 33.5 cm
Museum no. E.277-1973

There is not enough information in this drawing to enable the monument to be constructed, nor does it have the freedom of a drawing which is part of the thought process. The clarity of its outline and the way the different materials are carefully rendered suggests that it was made for presentation to the selecting committee.

Study for a Drawing of the Interior of St. Mark’s, Venice

Study for a Drawing of the Interior of St. Mark’s, Venice, Antonio Canal, 1766. Museum no. D.411-1885

Study for a Drawing of the Interior of St. Mark’s, Venice
Antonio Canal (called Canaletto) (1697-1768)
Italy
1766
Ink over red and black chalk on laid paper
Width 30.8 cm x height 36.2 cm
Museum no. D.411-1885

An example of linear perspective in which the point of convergence of the lines, known as the vanishing point, is marked with a spot of ink just to the right of the steps leading up to the sarcophagus.

Drawing Book Composed of Alternate Drawings by Master and Pupil

Drawing Book Composed of Alternate Drawings by Master and Pupil; containing sketches of eyes, sandalled feet, hands, flowers and classical heads, Mr Ryland and Mrs Hughes, 1766. Museum no. E.554-1975

Drawing Book Composed of Alternate Drawings by Master and Pupil; containing sketches of eyes, sandalled feet, hands, flowers and classical head
Mr Ryland and Mrs Hughes
Britain
1766
Pencil on laid paper
Size of volume width 16.1 cm x height 20.6 cm
Museum no. E.554-1975

This book is inscribed 'began to learn to draw with Mr Ryland Dec 8th, 1766'. It provides an example of the first stage of drawing tuition.

Wardour Castle, Wiltshire

Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, James Paine, about 1768. Museum no. 8416.3

Wardour Castle, Wiltshire
James Paine
Britain
About 1768
Ink and watercolour on laid paper
Width 47.9 cm x height 59.7 cm
Museum no. 8416.3

This drawing shows a section through the house and thus includes many of its grandest features. It is one of many that the architect made to show his client clearly and attractively how his plans would materialise.

Girl’s Head, the Face with an Expression of Pain

Girl’s Head, the Face with an Expression of Pain, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, late 18th century. Museum no. Dyce 604

Girl’s Head, the Face with an Expression of Pain
Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1726-1805)
France
Late 18th century
Black chalk with traces of heightening on grey wove paper
Width 20.4 cm x height 28.3 cm
Museum no. Dyce 604

Greuze made a great many studies of expression, some in preparation for specific paintings and others, like this sketch, as works in their own right. Known as têtes d’expression they were much sought after by collectors.

King John’s Palace Eltham

King John’s Palace Eltham, Thomas Girtin, late 18th century. Museum no. E.625-1953

King John’s Palace Eltham
Thomas Girtin (1775-1802)
Britain
Late 18th century
Graphite on cream wove paper
Width 27.4 cm x height 32.2 cm
Museum no. E.625-1953

A brilliant example of the rapid economy of the pencil‘s ability to suggest intricate detail and surface texture. Such pencil sketches frequently formed the structural underpinning of finished water-colours by the English School.

Diego de Acedo ‘El Primo’

Diego de Acedo ‘El Primo’, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, late 18th century. Museum no. CAI836

Diego de Acedo ‘El Primo’
Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828)
Spain
Late 18th century
Black chalk
Width 15 cm x height 19 cm
Museum no. CAI836

Goya made this drawing when he was working under the direction of Mengs at the Santa Barbara tapestry factory on cartoons for tapestries with which to decorate the royal residences. Mengs greatly admired Velasquez and urged the younger painter ‘not only to copy (his works) but above all to imitate them.’ Goya made this copy from a painting recently installed in the King’s apartments. It and other such drawings were subsequently used to provide the guidelines for a set of etchings.

Anatomical Study of a Seated Male Nude

Anatomical Study of a Seated Male Nude, Henry Fuseli, about 1770-78. Museum no. E.1094-1887

Anatomical Study of a Seated Male Nude
Henry Fuseli (1741-1825)
England
About 1770-78
Ink on laid tracing paper
Width 13 cm x height 30 cm
Museum no. E.1094-1887

The fact that the ink is brown and is eating into the paper suggests that it was iron-gall ink.

Study of the Head of St Michael

Study of the Head of St Michael, Jacques-Louis David, 1775-80. Museum no. 5944

Study of the Head of St Michael,
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
France
1775-80
Black Chalk on laid paper
Width 14 cm x height 15.5 cm
Museum no. 5944

Although David already had a reputation when he came to Rome in 1775 he stopped painting because he thought he drew badly and’ set about drawing eyes, ears, mouths, feet and hands’. This copy was made from a detail in the painting by Guido Reni in S.Maria della Concezione, Rome, and is inscribed ‘colere noble et elevee’ (noble and heroic anger).

Elevation and Plan of the Temple of Clitumnus, Spoleto

Elevation and Plan of the Temple of Clitumnus, Spoleto, John Soane, about 1779. Museum no. 3436.187

Elevation and Plan of the Temple of Clitumnus, Spoleto
John Soane (1753-1837)
Britain
About 1779
Ink and wash on laid paper
Width 42.4 cm x height 41.5 cm
Museum no. 3436.187

Soane was inspired to make this drawing when visiting Italy because the author of the guidebook he was using, Lady Anna Miller, expressed special admiration for it. He wrote offering her the drawing and subsequent correspondence revealed that his hope was to construct a facsimile of the temple in her garden. Thus, he was presenting a project to a potential client.

View of Hawes Water, Westmoreland

View of Hawes Water, Westmoreland, Christopher Machell, 1779. Museum no. E.350-1951

View of Hawes Water, Westmoreland
Christopher Machell (1747-1827)
Britain
1779
Pen and ink and water-colour on laid paper
Width 57.5 cm x height 39.2 cm
Museum no. E.350-1951

This landscape provides an example of the close link between drawing and painting in watercolours. The foreground is drawn in pen and ink. The middle ground is also drawn in pen and ink but broad washes of watercolour are applied within the inked guidelines. The sky is rendered in pure watercolour.

Poetry; Two Putti in a Cloud

Poetry; Two Putti in a Cloud, Unknown, about 1780. Museum no. D.1907-1885

Poetry; Two Putti in a Cloud
Unknown
France
About 1780
Red chalk on laid paper
Width 25 cm x height 17 cm
Museum no. D.1907-1885

This copy was made from the engraving by Hertel after Boucher. Engravings of the great masters were one of the main sources of images for copying. Although the engraving was in black, the aspiring artist will have known that Boucher’s drawing would have been rendered in red chalk and has therefore used red chalk in emulation of the original.

Plan and Elevation of a Capital in Front of the Church at Terracina

Plan and Elevation of a Capital in Front of the Church at Terracina, Unknown, about 1780. Museum no. 9130.60-1880

Plan and Elevation of a Capital in Front of the Church at Terracina
Unknown
About 1780
Ink and water-colour on laid paper
Width 42 cm x height 59.5 cm
Museum no. 9130.60-1880

This careful study may well have been made by an aspiring artist in Rome. It was acquired by the V&A as part of a collection of 82 similar drawings of Roman capitals in 1880, as models for art students to copy.

A Lesson in Perspective; showing a method of drawing towers from a point above them.

A Lesson in Perspective; showing a method of drawing towers from a point above them, Unknown, about 1780. Museum no. D.1328- 1899

A Lesson in Perspective; showing a method of drawing towers from a point above them
Unknown
About 1780
Ink and water-colour on laid paper
Width 42.5 cm x height 54.5 cm
Museum no. D.1328- 1899

This diagram is typical of the illustrations in perspective manuals. It explains how to draw the forms with linear perspective but the effect of depth in the scene is increased by the ground and sky being painted in graduated bands of colour, a form of aerial perspective.

Interior of the Church of SS Giovanni and Paolo, Venice

Interior of the Church of SS Giovanni and Paolo, Venice, Francesco Guardi, 1782. Museum no. D. 1740-1885

Interior of the Church of SS Giovanni and Paolo, Venice
Francesco Guardi (1712-1793)
Italy
1782
Ink and wash
Width 55 cm x height 58.1 cm
Museum no. D. 1740-1885

The fineness and delicacy of the ink lines suggest they were made with a fine quill pen.

Studies of Goats. Probably Related to a Painting of the Prodigal Son

Studies of Goats. Probably Related to a Painting of the Prodigal Son, Thomas Gainsborough, late 1780s. Museum no. Dyce 688

Studies of Goats. Probably Related to a Painting of the Prodigal Son
Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788)
Britain
Late 1780s
Black and white chalk on buff laid paper
Width 21 cm x height 17.5 cm
Museum no. Dyce 688

The paper is very rough. It appears to have been scarcely pressed at all and individual fibres can be picked out. The horizontal and vertical lines of the laid paper are visible in the drawn areas especially in the areas of white where they have only partially accepted the chalk. White chalk is often used to provide an image with highlights. Here it is used to define form.

'Blot' drawing

'Blot' drawing, Alexander Cozens, about 1788. Museum no. E.4276-1920

'Blot' drawing
Alexander Cozens (1717-1786)
Britain
About 1788
Ink on laid paper
Size of sheet width 23.6 cm x height 18 cm
Museum no. E.4276-1920

'Blotting' was a technique of image making developed by Cozens and published under the title of 'A New Method of Assisting the Invention in Drawing Original Compositions of Landscape' in 1788. Does the fact that the ink was applied with a brush impact on the work’s classification as a drawing?

Design for a Sauce Tureen and Stand

Design for a Sauce Tureen and Stand, Unknown, about 1790. Museum no. 8389.1

Design for a Sauce Tureen and Stand
Unknown
Britain
About 1790
Ink and wash on laid paper
Width 33.5 cm x height 23.3 cm
Museum no. 8389.1

This drawing is inscribed 'This drawing was made from the Sauce Tureen & Stand You so much approved off (sic) when in London'. It must have been a means of reminding a prospective client of an object that had caught his eye.

Seven Studies of a Foot

Seven Studies of a Foot, John C.D.Engleheart, 1799. Museum no. E.171-1939

Seven Studies of a Foot
John C.D.Engleheart (1784-1862)
Britain
1799
Ink and black and red chalk on laid paper
Width 48 cm x height 20 cm
Museum no. E.171-1939

These studies made when the artist was 15, are typical of the piecemeal approach towards the human figure that was encouraged by formal art teaching at this time. There are two further studies of legs done by the artists at the same time in the V&A’s collection.

Scene on a Towing-path

Scene on a Towing-path, Thomas Rowlandson, about 1800. Museum no. E.4163-1923

Scene on a Towing-path
Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827)
Britain
About 1800
Counterproof with additional pen and ink and watercolour on wove paper
Width 27 x height 18 cm
Museum no. E.4163-1923

This ‘drawing’ is an example of Rowlandson’s habit of repeating drawings for sale by working up and colouring counterproofs of original pen drawings. It os interesting that the counterproof but not the original drawing is signed.

Study of the Laocoon

Study of the Laocoon, Filippo Agricola, first half of 19th century. Museum no. D.2269-1885

Study of the Laocoon
Filippo Agricola (1776-1857)
Italy
First half of 19th century
Red chalk on wove paper
Width 29.5 cm x height 38 cm
Museum no. D.2269-1885

The Laocoon was found at the baths of Titus in Rome in 1506 and was much admired by Michelangelo and his school who studied nearby. It was still popular with artists 250 years later. Agricola made this study while at the Academia di S.Luca. There are five other studies after the antique by him in the V&A’s collection.

Study of a Seated Male Nude

Study of a Seated Male Nude, John Constable, about 1800. Museum no. 42-1873

Study of a Seated Male Nude
John Constable (1776-1837)
Britain
About 1800
Charcoal heightened with white chalk on brown toned wove paper
Width 41cm x height 53 cm
Museum no. 42-1873

Constable attended the Royal Academy Schools in London from 1799 and is likely to have made this drawing there. Although one of Britain's greatest landscape painters he continued to draw from the nude throughout his career.

Study of a cast of the Roman sculpture ‘Pancrastinae’ or ‘Wrestlers’

Study of a cast of the Roman sculpture ‘Pancrastinae’ or ‘Wrestlers, William Mulready, 1800. Museum no. 6000

Study of a cast of the Roman sculpture ‘Pancrastinae’ or ‘Wrestlers
William Mulready (1786-1863)
Britain
1800
Black and white chalk on green-grey wove paper
Width 33 cm x height 36 cm
Museum no. 6000

The rules relating to the Royal Academy Schools, London, stated 'Each student...shall present a drawing or model from some plaister (sic) cast to the Keeper, and if he thinks him properly qualified he shall be permitted to make a drawing or model of some cast in the Royal Academy, which will be approved by the Keeper and Visitor for the time being, shall be laid before the Council for their confirmation, which obtained he shall receive his letter of admission....Where he shall continue to draw after the plaister (sic), till the Keeper and Visitor...judge him qualified to draw after the living models...’ This drawing, which is inscribed 'for permission to draw from the living model', was Mulready’s submission at that point in his training.

Dr Syntax Sketching a Waterfall

Dr Syntax Sketching a Waterfall, Thomas Rowlandson, about 1800. Museum no. Dyce 813

Dr Syntax Sketching a Waterfall
Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827)
Britain
About 1800
Pen and ink, and watercolour on wove paper
Width 22 cm x height 13 cm
Museum no. Dyce 813

Dr Syntax, an amateur artist and connoisseur, was invented by Rowlandson as the subject of his 'The Tour of Dr Syntax, in Search of the Picturesque', published with a text by William Combe in Ackermann's 'Poetical Magazine' from 1809. Here Dr Syntax is shown sketching a waterfall, a satire on the many amateurs of drawing who went sketchbook in hand in search of the fashionable picturesque.

View in Borrowdale of Mountains and a Tree

View in Borrowdale of Mountains and a Tree, John Constable, 1806. Museum no. 187-88

View in Borrowdale of Mountains and a Tree
John Constable (1776-1837)
Britain
1806
Pencil and water-colour on wove paper
Width 27.3 cm x height 19.1 cm
Museum no. 187-88

The inscription on the reverse of the drawing: ‘Borrowdale 4 Oct 1806 - Dark Autumnal day at noon – tone more blooming that [‘that’ scored out] this… the effect exceedingly terrific [‘terrific’ scored out] terrific – and much like the beautiful Gaspar I saw in Margaret St.’ makes it clear that Constable was concentrating on capturing or recording a specific light effect.

Half-length Anatomical Study of a Man Drawn from a Dissected Corpse

Half-length Anatomical Study of a Man Drawn from a Dissected Corpse, John Gibson, about 1815. Museum no. D.1306a- 1898

Half-length Anatomical Study of a Man Drawn from a Dissected Corpse
John Gibson (1790-1866)
Britain
About 1815
Pencil on wove paper
Width 34 cm x height 24.5 cm
Museum no. D.1306a- 1898

Gibson began work as a sculptor without any formal training and then was taken up by the banker and connoisseur, William Roscoe, who encouraged him to copy works by Renaissance artists from his collection and as the artist recalled, to study anatomy ‘from the subject itself. Knowing what an anatomist Michel Angelo was, I was most eager to begin. Dr Vose of Liverpool was giving lectures on anatomy to young surgeons at that time, and he generously admitted me into his school gratis. With his instruction, and close devotion to the dissecting room, I became well versed in the construction of the human body, and could detect at a glance any anatomical error in a work of art’. The anatomy of the horse has been second only to that of the human figure in the attention that artists have paid to it.

An Écorché Study of a Horse

An Écorché Study of a Horse, John Gibson, about 1815. Museum no. D.1316- 1898

An Écorché Study of a Horse
John Gibson (1790-1866)
Britain
About 1815
Pencil on wove paper
Width 35.8 cm x height 22.5 cm
Museum no. D.1316- 1898

Gibson began work as a sculptor without any formal training and then was taken up by the banker and connoisseur, William Roscoe, who encouraged him to copy works by Renaissance artists from his collection and as the artist recalled, to study anatomy ‘from the subject itself. Knowing what an anatomist Michel Angelo was, I was most eager to begin. Dr Vose of Liverpool was giving lectures on anatomy to young surgeons at that time, and he generously admitted me into his school gratis. With his instruction, and close devotion to the dissecting room, I became well versed in the construction of the human body, and could detect at a glance any anatomical error in a work of art’. The anatomy of the horse has been second only to that of the human figure in the attention that artists have paid to it.

Portrait of Mrs Mackie

Portrait of Mrs Mackie, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1813. Museum no. E.230-1946

Portrait of Mrs Mackie
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867)
France
1813
Pencil on wove paper
Width 16.5 cm x height 17 cm
Museum no. E.230-1946
Given by Miss Winifred M. Giles in memory of her sister, Miss Alice M. Giles, through the National Art Collections Fund

The portraits like this that Ingres made while in Rome were commissioned for their own sake, as souvenirs for the sitters. It demonstrates the wide range of effects that can be obtained with various hardnesses of pencil and different movements and pressures of the artist’s hand.

Elm Trees

Elm Trees, John Constable, about 1820. Museum no. 351-1888

Elm Trees
John Constable (1776-1837)
Britain
About 1820
Pencil on wove paper
Width 16 cm x height 23.4 cm
Museum no. 351-1888

Pencil is used to create areas of tone rather than to outline form.

The Gallery at Syon

The Gallery at Syon, Unknown, about 1820. Museum no. E.1063-1940

The Gallery at Syon
Unknown
Britain
About 1820
Pen and ink and watercolour on paper
Museum no. E.1063-1940

This drawing records the appearance of the gallery at Syon and was reproduced exactly in The works of architecture of Robert and James Adam, volume III, plate II, 1822.

Cupid Dipped in Wine, Illustration to the Sixth Ode of Anacreon

Cupid Dipped in Wine, Illustration to the Sixth Ode of Anacreon, Henry Pierce Bone, 1821. Museum no. E.1467-1939

Cupid Dipped in Wine, Illustration to the Sixth Ode of Anacreon
Henry Pierce Bone (1779-1855)
Britain
1821
Sepia wash applied over pencil on wove paper
Width 42.4 cm x height 32 cm
Museum no. E.1467-1939

This sketch was drawn at a meeting of the Sketching Society, the rules of which were that the subject should be executed in the medium of sepia. It is testimony to sepia’s extensive tonal range. Were the washes in different colours rather than in shades of brown we would be inclined to call them watercolour.

Studies of a Human Skeleton from an Écorché Cast

Studies of a Human Skeleton from an Écorché Cast, William Edward Frost, second quarter of 19th century. Museum no. E.424-1948

Studies of a Human Skeleton from an Écorché Cast
William Edward Frost (1810-1877)
Britain
Second quarter of 19th century
Pencil and pencil and chalk on wove paper
Width 36.3 cm x height 52.5 cm
Museum no. E.424-1948

Frost studied at Henry Sass’s School and then at the Royal Academy, both in London. Skeletons and écorche casts showing the musculature of the body such as these were standard props in workshops and art academies from the 17th century onwards. Both drawings were inscribed 'for a Student’s Ticket' and may have been prepared to help his admission to the Academy.

Studies of the Muscles of a Male Figure from an Écorché Cast

Studies of the Muscles of a Male Figure from an Écorché Cast, William Edward Frost, second quarter of 19th century. Museum no. E.425-1948

Studies of the Muscles of a Male Figure from an Écorché Cast
William Edward Frost (1810-1877)
Britain
Second quarter of 19th century
Pencil and pencil and chalk on wove paper
Width 36.3 cm x height 52.5 cm
Museum no. E.425-1948

Frost studied at Henry Sass’s School and then at the Royal Academy, both in London. Skeletons and écorche casts showing the musculature of the body such as these were standard props in workshops and art academies from the 17th century onwards. Both drawings were inscribed 'for a Student’s Ticket' and may have been prepared to help his admission to the Academy.

A Woman Sketching a Child with the Aid of a Camera Lucida

A Woman Sketching a Child with the Aid of a Camera Lucida, Henry Moses, about 1825. Museum no. E.8-1946

A Woman Sketching a Child with the Aid of a Camera Lucida
Henry Moses (about 1782-1870)
Britain
About 1825
Pencil and chalk on wove paper
Width 10.8 cm x height 7.5 cm
Museum no. E.8-1946

Drawing was a regular activity of accomplished men and women in 18th and 19th century Britain and gadgets were invented to help them. The woman in this picture is shown drawing with the aid of a camera lucida, patented in 1807. It reflected a reduced transparent image of the scene to be depicted on the paper. The child being depicted is being held still to allow the woman to sketch in the outlines.

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 (1891-1865)
British
1850
Ink on blotting paper
Width 28 cm x height 39.1cm
Museum no. E.575-1985

Paxton had these thoughts during a board meeting of the Midland Railway, hence his use of blotting paper. Blotting paper is unsized. As a result it draws the ink into its matted fibres giving richness and lack of definition to the image. The sketches show a cross section and a side elevation. Within a week the drawings were converted to fully-fledged designs, shown to the Royal Commission for the Great Exhibition and accepted. Being of glass and steel, the design could be prefabricated in sections and thus built more quickly than the more traditional designs offered by competitors.

Design for a Damask

Design for a Damask, Joseph Neil Paton, about 1850-60. Museum no. 363.1

Design for a Damask
Joseph Neil Paton (1797-1874)
Britain
About 1850-60
Black chalk on wove paper, counterproofed
Width 27 cm x height 29 cm
Museum no. 363.1

The original drawing occupies the top left-hand corner of the sheet: the rest is made up of two counterproofs. The upper left quarter of the design being transferred to the righthand side and then the upper half to the lower half of the sheet by the counterproofing method.

Studies of Lemon Blossom

Studies of Lemon Blossom, Frederic Leighton, 1859. Museum no. E.3803-1910

Studies of Lemon Blossom
Frederic Leighton (1830-1896)
Britain
1859
Pencil on toned wove paper
Width 15.7 cm x height 22.8 cm
Museum no. E.3803-1910

Leighton made this on-the-spot study in Capri. He records on the sheet 'buds pink violet'. Although blossom of this kind appears again and again in his paintings this drawing was made in order to extend his understanding of the details of the blossom and their relationship to each other with no specific painting in mind.

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 cm x height 99.4 cm
Museum no. E.2906-1927

A cartoon is an actual size preparatory drawing for a work in another medium, in this case stained glass. The design has been drawn over the squaring, indicating that it has been transferred from elsewhere, probably a smaller sketch. The main wash lines indicate the lead lines. Pencil notes provide colour details.

Designs for Champagne Glasses for James Powell and Sons, Whitefriars

Designs for Champagne Glasses for James Powell and Sons, Whitefriars, Philip Webb, about 1861. Museum no. E.336-339-1944

Designs for Champagne Glasses for James Powell and Sons, Whitefriars
Philip Webb
Britain
About 1861
Pencil, pen and wash on laid paper
Each about width 19 cm x height 25.5 cm
Museum no. E.336-339-1944

These designs show two extremes of drawing. The bases of the glasses, shown in plan, are described by simple double pen lines but the bodies of the glasses are delineated by wash applied with a full brush to the space around them. Thus, their outlines are represented by a negative silhouette.

Study of a Plaster Cast of a Foot

Study of a Plaster Cast of a Foot, Luke Fildes, 1863. Museum no. E.1951-1909

Study of a Plaster Cast of a Foot
Luke Fildes (1843-1927)
Britain
1863
Black and white chalk on buff wove paper
Width 40 cm x height 39.4 cm
Museum no. E.1951-1909

Fildes drew this study shortly after entering the British National Art Training School (Now the Royal College of Art) with a scholarship after three years training at a provincial school of art. At first British state-run schools, in opposition to the Academy Schools, did not permit drawing from casts although the syllabus was, nevertheless, based on drawing from other approved models. By the time the Schools of Design had evolved into the Schools of Art, such academic training was, as is shown by this drawing, encouraged.

Design for Decoration for a Lustre Dish

Design for Decoration for a Lustre Dish, William de Morgan, 1879. Museum no. E.1217-1917

Design for Decoration for a Lustre Dish
William de Morgan (1839-1917)
Britain
1879
Water-colour over pencil on wove paper; pricked for transfer
Diameter 36 cm
Museum no. E.1217-1917

The entire design has been pricked for transfer to the dry biscuit body of the dish. It bears traces of charcoal on its back indicating that it was used.

Diagrammatic Copy to Reduced Scale of Part of a Textile Design

Diagrammatic Copy to Reduced Scale of Part of a Textile Design, Unknown, about 1885-1905. Museum no. E.1126-1970

Diagrammatic Copy to Reduced Scale of Part of a Textile Design
Unknown
Britain
About 1885-1905
Ink on tracing paper
Width 12.3 cm x height 3.4 cm
Museum no. E.1126-1970

This drawing is from a credit book compiled by the textile manufacturer, Arthur H.Lee & Sons Ltd, 1885-1905 as a source of ready reference. The design for the textile is also in the V&A’s collection.

Anchors. Study for 'The Channel at Gravelines, Evening'

Anchors. Study for 'The Channel at Gravelines, Evening', Georges Pierre Seurat, 1890. Museum no. P.4-1982

Anchors. Study for 'The Channel at Gravelines, Evening'
Georges Pierre Seurat (1859-1891)
France
1890
Chalk on laid paper
Width 31.5 cm x height 23.7 cm
Museum no. P.4-1982

This drawing is made up entirely of shading. It has scarcely a line as such in it. Yet, surely, it is without doubt a drawing? The laid paper’s vertical and horizontal lines have affected how the chalk has adhered to it and are clearly visible.

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. Drawing for illustration, Aubrey Beardsley, 1893. Museum no. E.289-1972

How King Arthur Saw the Questing Beast and Therefore Had a Great Marvel. Drawing for illustration
Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898)
Britain
1893
Ink and wash on wove paper
Width 27.1 cm x height 27.1 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'.

Parrot Tulip

Parrot Tulip, Georg Dionysus Ehret, about 1750-70. Museum no. D.582-1886

Parrot Tulip
Georg Dionysus Ehret (1708-1770)
Germany
About 1750-70
Watercolour and gouache on vellum
Museum no. D.582-1886

This drawing was made as an illustration for Hortus Nitidissimus, a botanical book celebrating the beauty of garden plants. Thus it was reproduced in some considerable number. The somewhat anachronistic use of vellum contributes to the sense of the value of the original drawing as a luxury item.

Pupils Drawing from Casts in a Painter's Workshop

Pupils Drawing from Casts in a Painter's Workshop, Odoardo Fialetti. 1608. Museum no. E.215-1964

Pupils Drawing from Casts in a Painter's Workshop
Odoardo Fialetti (1573-1638)
Italy
1608
Etching
Width 15.6 cm x height 11.1 cm
Museum no. E.215-1964

This print demonstrates that communal drawing played a significant part in the life of apprentice painters in the 17th century.

The Stars, Four Female Figures Among Clouds

The Stars, Four Female Figures Among Clouds, Charles Prosper Sainton, late 19th or early 20th century. Museum no. E.1232-1948

The Stars, Four Female Figures Among Clouds
Charles Prosper Sainton (1861-1914)
Britain
Late 19th or early 20th century
Metal-point on wove paper coated with a shiny white ground
Width 42 cm x height 54.5 cm
Museum no. E.1232-1948

This was probably executed in silver point. The lines would have been grey originally but overtime have oxidised to brown. The scale of the drawing is unusual for a work executed in such a fine medium.

Design for a Candlestick. Plan and Elevation

Design for a Candlestick. Plan and Elevation, Nelson Ethelred Dawson, early 20th century. Museum no. E.692-1972

Design for a Candlestick. Plan and Elevation
Nelson Ethelred Dawson (1859-1942)
Britain
Early 20th century
Pencil, ink, and coloured wash
Width 18 cm x height 18 cm
Museum no. E.692-1972

The use of transfer paper for this final working drawing enabled it to be produced from an earlier sketch very rapidly. The blue wash has been applied to the back of the sheet to prevent the ink lines from being obscured.

Study of a Standing Female Nude

Study of a Standing Female Nude, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, early 20th century. Museum no. E.4980-1919

Study of a Standing Female Nude
Henri Gaudier-Brzeska
Britain
Early 20th century
Charcoal on wove paper
Width 20 cm x height 50 cm
Museum no. E.4980-1919

The artist seems to have enjoyed making the blocky forms that charcoal sticks produce with such economy.

Study of Reclining Female Nudes

Study of Reclining Female Nudes, Gustav Klimt, early 20th century. Museum no. E.1083 -1966

Study of Reclining Female Nudes
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)
Austria
Early 20th century
Blue chalk on cream wove paper
Width 56 cm x height 20 cm
Museum no. E.1083 -1966

The smooth silky finish of this paper sets off the spare lines of the drawing. This kind of wove paper imitates Japanese paper. Japanese papers became fashionable as a support for drawing early in the 20th century since when many imitations similar to this one have been manufactured.

Drawing to Illustrate Lectures on Botany, Given at the Government School of Design

Drawing to Illustrate Lectures on Botany, Given at the Government School of Design, Christopher Dresser, about 1855. Museum no. 3968

Drawing to Illustrate Lectures on Botany, Given at the Government School of Design
Christopher Dresser (1834-1904)
Britain
About 1855
Pencil and water-colour
Width 75.5 cm x height 55 cm
Museum no. 3968

Christopher Dresser, designer and writer on design, began his career teaching botany. This is one of a series of drawings of elements of flowers that he drew in a diagrammatic form to help him explain principles of biology.

A Shire Horse and Her Foal

A Shire Horse and Her Foal, Harold Gilman, about 1915. Museum no. E.2710-1962

A Shire Horse and Her Foal
Harold Gilman (1876-1919)
Britain
About 1915
Indian ink on wove paper
Width 29.5 cm x height 22.3 cm
Museum no. E.2710-1962

Dots and lines play an equal part in representing the subject matter.

The Feathered Hat. Study for a Portrait of the Artist’s Wife

The Feathered Hat. Study for a Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, Robert Polhill Bevan, about 1915. Museum no. Circ.241-1963

The Feathered Hat. Study for a Portrait of the Artist’s Wife
Robert Polhill Bevan (1865-1925)
Britain
About 1915
Black chalk, squared and numbered for transfer
Size of sheet width 40.5 cm x height 36 cm
Museum no. Circ.241-1963

The squaring is over the drawing. It was thus squared up after the drawing was made to facilitate its transfer to another surface, in this case, a canvas.

Three Studies of a Female Nude on One Sheet

Three Studies of a Female Nude on One Sheet, Henry Tonks, about 1917-30. Museum no. E.357-1937

Three Studies of a Female Nude on One Sheet
Henry Tonks
Britain
About 1917-30
Black and red chalk on pale blue wove paper
Width 28 cm x height 43 cm
Museum no. E.357-1937

Tonks was Professor at the Slade, a leading art school in London, from 1917-1930. He encouraged all his students to draw and drew assiduously from the figure himself.

Self-portrait

Self-portrait, Charles Ginner, about 1920. Museum no. E.3308 -1980

Self-portrait
Charles Ginner (1878 - 1952)
Britain
About 1920
Indian ink on laid paper
Width 10.2 cm x height 10.2 cm
Museum no. E.3308 -1980

The ink’s slight shine is typical of Indian ink. The face is delineated with dots, the hair with lines and the outline of the head by opaque black applied to the negative space. Are these different ways of applying the ink all ways of drawing?

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
Britain
1869
Chalk
Album width 14.60 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.

Torso of a Woman

Torso of a Woman, Eric Gill, 1927. Museum no. Circ. 49-1928

Torso of a Woman
Eric Gill
Britain
1927
Pencil on wove paper
Width 24.6 cm x height 30 cm
Museum no. Circ. 49-1928

This is an outstanding example of the power of a few simple lines to describe three-dimensional form. Note especially the use of crosses to indicate the volume.

The Summer Class at Shoreham

The Summer Class at Shoreham, Franklin White, about 1930. Museum no. E.564-1980

The Summer Class at Shoreham
Franklin White (1892-1975)
Britain
About 1930
Red chalk and pen and ink on wove paper
Width 37.5 cm x height 27.5 cm
Museum no. E.564-1980

The scene shows students at the Samuel Palmer School of Art. The absence of painting equipment suggests that the women are sketching rather than painting the scene before them.

Perspective View of the Cashier’s Desk and Cloaks Counter, Fischer’s Restaurant and Long Bar, New Bond Street, London

Perspective View of the Cashier’s Desk and Cloaks Counter, Fischer’s Restaurant and Long Bar, New Bond Street, London, Raymond McGrath, 1932. Museum no. Circ.565-1974

Perspective View of the Cashier’s Desk and Cloaks Counter, Fischer’s Restaurant and Long Bar, New Bond Street, London
Raymond McGrath (1903-1977)
Britain
1932
Pencil, chalk and gouache on wove tracing paper
Width 33.5 cm x height 27 cm
Museum no. Circ.565-1974

McGrath made this drawing to convey to the client in an atmospheric way, the structure, colour and lighting of his proposal for the restaurant’s interior. Tracing paper will have been used as a quick way of tracing in the composition prior to colouring.

Component and Constructional Drawing

Component and Constructional Drawing, The Advisory Committee on Utility Furniture, 1942. Museum no. E.51-1964

Component and Constructional Drawing
The Advisory Committee on Utility Furniture
Britain
1942
Ink on wove paper
Width 22.8 cm x height 38.1cm
Museum no. E.51-1964

This drawing was made for publication. Given their medium they are undoubtedly drawings but they look virtually identical to their published form. Diagram is perhaps the word that springs to mind to describe them. Is a diagram a category of drawing or something different?

Component and Constructional Drawing

Component and Constructional Drawing, The Advisory Committee on Utility Furniture, 1942. Museum no. E.53-1964

Component and Constructional Drawing
The Advisory Committee on Utility Furniture
Britain
1942
Ink on wove paper
Width 22.8 cm x height 38.1cm
Museum no. E.53-1964

This drawing was made for publication. Given their medium they are undoubtedly drawings but they look virtually identical to their published form. Diagram is perhaps the word that springs to mind to describe them. Is a diagram a category of drawing or something different?

Portrait of Peter Watson, Head and Shoulders

Portrait of Peter Watson, Head and Shoulders, Lucian Freud, about 1950. Museum no. Circ.308-1958

Portrait of Peter Watson, Head and Shoulders
Lucian Freud (b. 1922)
Britain
About 1950
Charcoal and white chalk on integrally coloured grey-brown laid paper
Width 48.1 cm x height 36 cm
Museum no. Circ.308-1958

Close examination shows that the grey tone of the paper comes from the use of grey fibres. The artist clearly enjoyed the texture of the laid paper setting off its vertical lines visible through the shading of the tie against the diagonally patterned fabric of the sitter’s jacket.

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.210-1999

First Concept of a Front-wheel Drive, Transverse-engine Vehicle
Alec Issigonis (1906 – 1988)
Britain
1956
Ballpoint pen and pencil on wove paper
Width 32.9cm x height 25.3 cm
Museum no. E.210-1999

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

A Range of Hygena Ltd Kitchen Units and Fittings

A Range of Hygena Ltd Kitchen Units and Fittings, George Féjer, 1962. Museum no. E.244-1978

A Range of Hygena Ltd Kitchen Units and Fittings
George Féjer (b. 1912)
Britain
1962
Ink and chalks on wove paper
Size of sheet width 50.5 cm x height 40.6 cm
Museum no. E.244-1978

This drawing is inscribed 'For August Sales Conference'. It provided a means by which the designer could show his latest additions to a range of kitchen units to potential retailers.

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.

Small Soundpiece

Small Soundpiece, Sîan Bowen, 1999. Museum no. E.359-2005

Small Soundpiece
Sîan Bowen (born 1959)
British
1999
Pencil on a fragment of wallpaper
Width 18 cm x height 24 cm
E.359-2005

Maybe Icon of the Deposition

Maybe Icon of the Deposition, Deanna Petherbridge, 1984. Museum no. P.5-1985

Maybe Icon of the Deposition
Deanna Petherbridge (born 1939)
Britain
1984
Ink and washes
Width 51.4 cm x height 73 cm
Museum no. P.5-1985

Petherbridge is an example of an artist for whom drawing is her chosen medium of expression. She has said: ‘In my own work I’ve never done preliminary drawing, because it’s sometimes difficult to repeat something or to continue when the urgency’s gone. I work on drawing as a final product. It is my entire visual art practice: I eat, sleep, think, write about, and do drawing’.

0305-03

0305-03, Harold Cohen, 2003. Museum no. E.263-2005

0305-03
Harold Cohen (born 1928)
USA
2003
Computer generated ink drawing
Width 90 cm x height 127 cm
E.263-2005

Cohen developed a computer programme called AARON with which he sought to codify the act of drawing. Does the fact that the image is generated by a computer rather than by the hand of an individual affect its status as a drawing?

Source of the Scaur

Source of the Scaur, Andy Goldsworthy, 1991-2. Museum no. E.705-1993

Source of the Scaur
Andy Goldsworthy (b. 1956)
Britain
1991-2
Water-colour on wove paper
Width 121 cm x height 235 cm
Museum no. E.705-1993

This large work was created by a ball of frozen snow being left to melt and find its path on the sheet. The result is a broad wash line in a subdued palette. Is it a drawing or not? If it is not a drawing what is it?

My Heroes

My Heroes, Grayson Perry, 1994. Museum no. C.10-2009

My Heroes
Grayson Perry (b.1960)
Britain
1994
Earthenware with incised and applied decoration
Height 30.4 cm x diameter 31 cm
Museum no. C.10-2009

This vase is decorated with portraits rendered in line. Are they drawings or does the fact that they are not drawn on paper but on a vase, prevent them from being perceived as drawings?

My Heroes

My Heroes, Grayson Perry, 1994. Museum no. C.10-2009

My Heroes
Grayson Perry (b.1960)
Britain
1994
Earthenware with incised and applied decoration
Height 30.4 cm x diameter 31 cm
Museum no. C.10-2009

This vase is decorated with portraits rendered in line. Are they drawings or does the fact that they are not drawn on paper but on a vase, prevent them from being perceived as drawings?

My Heroes

My Heroes, Grayson Perry, 1994. Museum no. C.10-2009

My Heroes
Grayson Perry (b.1960)
Britain
1994
Earthenware with incised and applied decoration
Height 30.4 cm x diameter 31 cm
Museum no. C.10-2009

This vase is decorated with portraits rendered in line. Are they drawings or does the fact that they are not drawn on paper but on a vase, prevent them from being perceived as drawings?

My Heroes

My Heroes, Grayson Perry, 1994. Museum no. C.10-2009

My Heroes
Grayson Perry (b.1960)
Britain
1994
Earthenware with incised and applied decoration
Height 30.4 cm x diameter 31 cm
Museum no. C.10-2009

This vase is decorated with portraits rendered in line. Are they drawings or does the fact that they are not drawn on paper but on a vase, prevent them from being perceived as drawings?

100 Drawings

100 Drawings, Chris Kenny, 2001. Museum no. E.1091-2002

100 Drawings
Chris Kenny (b. 1959)
Britain
2001
Mixed media construction with twigs
Width 85 cm x height 85 cm x depth 8.3 cm
Museum no. E.1091-2002

This work is made entirely by bending and sticking together twigs, which are by their nature linear. The sticks are supported on steel pins so that they 'float' in front of the backboard. That the artist considered each of the images a drawing is made clear by the title. To what extent is a work of art what its creator says it is? Are there any reasons why this work should not be classified as a series of drawing?

London

London, Jason Wallis-Johnson, 2004. Museum no. E.530-2005

London
Jason Wallis-Johnson (b. 1966)
Britain
2004
Lightbox with perspex and pierced carbon paper
Width 75 cm x height 64.8 cm
Museum no. E.530-2005

In this composition the pin pricks through which light shines denote the population numbers on the route. Is this an example of an artist drawing with light?