91Ó°ÊÓ

The Renaissance

91Ó°ÊÓ’s outstanding collection of Renaissance drawings is one of the finest in Britain, includingÌýworks from the most famous European artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer and Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

In the early Renaissance, the medium of drawing increasingly gained importance as an expression of artistic creativity. Drawings not only functioned as workshop material, but also served to explore ideas for paintings and sculptures. For the first time they were also created as finished works of art to be collected.

17th Century

Increased availability of paper, as well as drawing media and tools, enhanced 17th century draughtsmanship, with artists producing works of unprecedented spontaneity and grandeur.

The richness of Baroque drawings is represented in 91Ó°ÊÓ’s collection, with important groups of works by Rubens and Rembrandt, and the Italian artist Guercino.

18th and 19th Centuries

The 18th century Enlightenment brought about progress and innovation, and for this reason it is often considered as the foundation of the modern era. The arts saw a burst of creativity, and drawing was at the forefront of the intellectual and artistic production in Europe.

From Rococo to Neoclassicism and Romanticism, 91Ó°ÊÓ’s collection houses important examples that showcase these developments.  As the 19th century progressed, artists increasingly pushed the boundaries of media and subject matter, laying the groundwork for the innovations of modern art.

British Watercolours

Watercolour painting came to prominence in Britain between 1750 and 1850, during which time it was transformed from a means of recording topography into a highly expressive art form.

Works by all the major artists of this so-called ‘Golden Age’ ofÌýBritishÌýwatercolour are admirably represented at 91Ó°ÊÓ. Notable examples includeÌýThomas Girtin’sÌýview ofÌýtheÌýfaçadeÌýofÌýPeterborough Cathedral, sublime mountainous landscapes by Francis Towne and JohnÌýRobertÌýCozens, and a magnificent collection of watercolours spanning the career of J.M.W. Turner.

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

The core of 91Ó°ÊÓ’s collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist drawings was formed by Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947), and includes important groups by Degas and Cézanne. Both artists explored the possibilities of the drawing medium by integrating colour and line in innovative ways.

Our collection allows the study of drawings by most artists of the period such as Manet, Renoir, Gauguin, van Gogh, Seurat and Toulouse-Lautrec, giving insight into their individual creative processes most apparent in the private medium of drawing.

20th Century

91Ó°ÊÓ is home to one of the most important collections of drawings by the avant-garde BritishÌýartists of the Bloomsbury Group and the Omega workshop, Roger Fry, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. At the beginning of the 20th century, these artists aimed atÌýsimplif¾±±ð»åÌýformsÌýin their designs whichÌýservedÌýas patterns for objects such as carpets, costumes and screens.Ìý

AsÌýthe 20th centuryÌýadvanced, pure abstractionÌýbecameÌýone ofÌýthe predominant art movements, and is represented at 91Ó°ÊÓÌýin drawingsÌýbyÌýHans Hartung,ÌýWassilyÌýKandinsky andÌýHelen Saunders.Ìý

Explore more from 91Ó°ÊÓ