The Spanish Line: Drawings from Ribera to Picasso at Courtauld Institute of Art on artrepublic.com
Exhibition running from Oct 13 2011
until Jan 15 2012
This exhibition explores the rich, intriguing and varied territory of Spanish drawings, a field that remains relatively little known. The Courtauld Gallery holds one of the most important collections of Spanish drawings outside Spain, totalling approximately 100 works ranging from the 16th to the 20th centuries. A selection of some 40 of the finest and most representative drawings has been chosen for the exhibition. They include examples by many of Spain’s greatest artists, such as Ribera, Murillo, Goya and Picasso. The exhibition also invites visitors to explore lesser-known treasures from the Golden Age of Spanish art created by Francisco Pacheco, Antonio Garcia Reinoso, Vicente Carducho, Antonio del Castillo and others. Many of these works have never previously been exhibited and they are presented here in the light of important new research. The Spanish Line is the first substantial exhibition on the tradition of Spanish draughtsmanship to take place in London and reflects the growing scholarly interest in the subject. The exhibition marks the completion of a four-year research project and the publication of a complete scholarly catalogue of The Courtauld Gallery’s collection of Spanish drawings. In many public collections ‘Spanish school’ was often used as a convenient label for anonymous drawings, frequently from other countries and of lesser quality. Significant discoveries are still regularly made and The Courtauld’s exhibition aims to stimulate further discussion and research in this exciting field of study. The Courtauld Gallery’s collection has its origins with the MP and celebrated Hispanist Sir William Stirling Maxwell (1818-78), whose pioneering Annals of the artists of Spain (1848) helped lay the foundations for the later scholarly study of Spanish art. Sir Robert Witt (1872-1952) acquired a substantial part of the Stirling Maxwell collection when it came on the market. Witt was able to expand the group with further acquisitions, often made for small sums and against prevailing taste. In 1952 they formed part of his magnificent bequest of approximately 3,000 drawings to The Courtauld Gallery. The exhibition is arranged in broadly chronological order, emphasising various aspects of Spanish draughtsmanship. OPENING HOURS: Daily 10.00 – 18.00 Image Credits: Juan de Juanes (Vicente Juan Macip) (c.1510-1579) Two studies for Saint Stephen taken to his martyrdom Pen and brown ink 217 x 315 mm © The Courtauld Gallery, London Francisco Pacheco (1564-1644) Saint Mark, 23 October 1632 Pen and brown ink and wash, heightened with white on brown paper 362 x 221 mm © The Courtauld Gallery, London Francisco de Herrera the Younger 1627-1685) attributed Guardian angel walking with a child Pen and brush and brown ink 130 x 88 mm © The Courtauld Gallery, London  |
