Pen to Brush: British Drawings and Watercolours

A watercolour view by JMW Turner of Rome from San Pietro in Montorio Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 - 1851), Rome from San Pietro in Montorio, Circa 1820-21, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

The Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery
19 Nov 2021 – 27 Feb 2022

Pen to Brush, the opening display in the dedicated Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, features highlights from The Courtauld51²è¹Ý¶ù remarkable collection of British drawings and watercolours.

They range from one of the earliest and smallest works in the collection, a pen and ink drawing by Isaac Oliver measuring just 47 x 59 mm (around 1565-1617), to Henry Moore51²è¹Ý¶ù powerful wartimeÌýShelter DrawingÌý(1942).

Works from the ‘golden age’ of British watercolour include examples by J.M.W. Turner, John Constable and Edward Dayes’ panoramic view of Somerset House from the Thames. A highlight is little-known abstract drawing, Vorticist Composition with Figures, Black and WhiteÌý(1915), by Helen Saunders, one of only two female members of the early 20th-century avant-garde Vorticist group.

This display is included in the admission ticket to The Courtauld Gallery.

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19 November - 27 February

Courtauld Gallery  The Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery 
Pen to Brush entry is free with your ticket for the permanent collection

Highlights on display

Peter Lely (1618 - 1680), Study of two heralds in ceremonial dress, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld
A watercolour view by JMW Turner of Rome from San Pietro in Montorio
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 - 1851), Rome from San Pietro in Montorio, Circa 1820-21, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld
A black and white landscape with sheep and cattle on the bank of a stream by Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough (1727 - 1788), Landscape with sheep and cattle on the bank of a stream, 1780-84, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld
A bold drawing in thick black graphite and ink, on a slightly aged paper. At the bottom, linear forms slightly resemble human forms, and they surround a circular post-like form in the centre of the sheet. On the top half, building-like forms sit atop the black background, with sharp lines of black and white dotting the background.
Helen Saunders (1885-1963), Vorticist Composition with Figures, Black and White, 1915 © Estate of Helen Saunders
Pen to Brush British Drawings and Watercolours display labels
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Virtual tour

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