“This is the much-decorated Albert Schweitzer sitting for a portrait three years after he won the Nobel Peace Prize. He had just received an honorary doctorate of law from the University of Cambridge, so it is likely that the sketch is for a portrait commissioned by the university, though we are not sure. We do have a photograph showing Augustus John sketching it at a table in a relaxed setting – it could be in a cafe – with Schweitzer looking straight ahead.
At first glance, the sketch seems quite loose and appears effortless, with John’s characteristic bold strokes outlining the shape of the face and hair. But look a little closer and you’ll notice that he has spent a great deal of time on the eyes, suddenly revealing the complexity of the drawing.
As well as red chalk, there’s grey in the shadows, and he’s highlighted the front of the head and that marvellous mane. It’s a superb likeness and when you stand in front of it in the gallery, you feel like Schweitzer is looking right into your soul.
John has captured Schweitzer’s humanity and, beneath the technique, you can see he was very much aware of life drawing and how the human anatomy lies underneath the clothes, which he conveys with just a few lines.
The exhibition Draw the Line: Old Masters to the Beano traces the history of drawing and features 150 works ranging from the classical to the present day. It’s a colourful show, with portraits, landscapes, topography, illustrations and other works by Graham Sutherland, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Thomas Gainsborough, Will Maclean, Amelia Long, William Gillies and Ian Fleming.
We thought that it was important to represent Dundee’s rich history of publishing, especially in the field of comic strips with the Beano and the Broons originating in Dundee’s Sunday Post newspaper.
We don’t have any of these comics in our collection so the publisher DC Thompson gave us access to its archive – we chose a drawing of Minnie the Minx by the illustrator Jim Petrie, which shows the character going into the Thompson offices and bothering Petrie at work. It is like a self-portrait.
In these days of instant imagery, it’s interesting to come into the gallery and appreciate the time that the artists spent on these pictures. Drawing is such a basic and enduring human preoccupation, so maybe it’s time to put the camera away and start sketching.”
Interview by John Holt. Draw the Line: Old Masters to the Beano is at The McManus until October 2016
At first glance, the sketch seems quite loose and appears effortless, with John’s characteristic bold strokes outlining the shape of the face and hair. But look a little closer and you’ll notice that he has spent a great deal of time on the eyes, suddenly revealing the complexity of the drawing.
As well as red chalk, there’s grey in the shadows, and he’s highlighted the front of the head and that marvellous mane. It’s a superb likeness and when you stand in front of it in the gallery, you feel like Schweitzer is looking right into your soul.
John has captured Schweitzer’s humanity and, beneath the technique, you can see he was very much aware of life drawing and how the human anatomy lies underneath the clothes, which he conveys with just a few lines.
The exhibition Draw the Line: Old Masters to the Beano traces the history of drawing and features 150 works ranging from the classical to the present day. It’s a colourful show, with portraits, landscapes, topography, illustrations and other works by Graham Sutherland, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Thomas Gainsborough, Will Maclean, Amelia Long, William Gillies and Ian Fleming.
We thought that it was important to represent Dundee’s rich history of publishing, especially in the field of comic strips with the Beano and the Broons originating in Dundee’s Sunday Post newspaper.
We don’t have any of these comics in our collection so the publisher DC Thompson gave us access to its archive – we chose a drawing of Minnie the Minx by the illustrator Jim Petrie, which shows the character going into the Thompson offices and bothering Petrie at work. It is like a self-portrait.
In these days of instant imagery, it’s interesting to come into the gallery and appreciate the time that the artists spent on these pictures. Drawing is such a basic and enduring human preoccupation, so maybe it’s time to put the camera away and start sketching.”
Interview by John Holt. Draw the Line: Old Masters to the Beano is at The McManus until October 2016
