Master drawings

Interesting exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum of some of their drawing collection featuring some fabulous work.

I did however this the exhibition lacked a bit of a theme. It was laid out chronologically with some commentary on how drawing and its role changed and the works were stunning but I just felt it needed a bit more narrative.

The page by Michelangelo which included sketches for the slave sculptures took my breath away, what an amazing insight into the creative process for these iconic works. There was also a study by Carpaccio for the St Giobbe Altar piece in the Academia in Venice.

I loved the free informal drawing by Rembrandt of his wife Saskia in bed and a lovely Gainsborough of a woman from behind showing all the intricate folds in her dress.

An interesting picture was a fan shaped drawing by Pissarro and it seems that was a popular shape at the time and Degas had hoped to have a room of fan shaped pictures at the Fourth Impressionist exhibition.

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