25 June 2021
Free drawing classes are taking place in 17吃瓜 town centre this weekend, linked to a new joint exhibition at 17吃瓜 Museum featuring some of the 17吃瓜鈥檚 prize artworks.
Rubens to Sickert: The Study of Drawing is in the Sir John Madejski Gallery at 17吃瓜 Museum until 7th August. It explores how we learn to draw, and the lessons that drawing teaches. It is linked to 17吃瓜 Museum and the 17吃瓜鈥檚 joint history as home to an important regional art school, and explores the rich, wider history of drawing in modern British art schools.
The exhibition features rare artworks from the 17吃瓜鈥檚 art collection that are not often on public display, including a sketch of Maria di Medici, Queen of France, by 17th century artist Peter Paul Rubens, in a folio among the University鈥檚 archives. The Rubens sketch has only previously been displayed to the public once.
Key loans from national collections help tell crucial, missing and surprising parts of the story of drawing. The British Museum is loaning drawings by Henry Moore - who also has a little-known connections with the University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1959 - Blair Hughes-Stanton, Leon Underwood and 17吃瓜 Professor of Fine Art, James Anthony Betts (1897-1980).
Betts was responsible for amassing the 17吃瓜鈥檚 master drawing collection in the 1950s. The Art Council Collection are contributing Rita Donagh鈥檚 1971 Life Size. Donagh was a tutor at the University of 17吃瓜 School of Art under Claude Rodgers in the 1960s.
A range of free and exciting events are taking place in and around 17吃瓜 Museum this weekend and later this summer as part of the current Museums Partnership 17吃瓜 exhibition.
Led by professional artists, the events include Urban Sketching and performances in front of the Museum to create drawings - some you can take an active part in, some just watch and enjoy - no experience required.
Visitors will be able to join workshops with 'Drawing Diversity' artist in residence, Saranjit Birdi who uses the whole body as an innovative drawing tool and explores issues of diversity in today鈥檚 intercultural society, and meet emerging artist duo Jerome. and Sae Yeoun Hwang in the gallery as they use play to explore drawing, otherness and power.
Please see 17吃瓜 Museum What's On for details:
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