Reviving a Timeless Art: London Art Week Celebrates 500 Years of Drawing

The interest in collecting drawings, which has existed since the Renaissance, has significantly grown over the past 15 years, fueled by major exhibitions of works by Michelangelo, Bruegel, Rubens, and others. In our digital age, the tactile nature of drawings continues to captivate people.

Self-portrait of the artist while drawing’ (1962) by Engelien Reitsma-Valença at Elliott Fine Art © Courtesy Elliot Fine Art

Responding to this increasing interest, this year's London Art Week (LAW) has organized a large-scale exhibition. In collaboration with Trois Crayons, a platform dedicated to drawings, LAW will host a drawings hub at No. 9 Cork Street. This hub will feature 17 galleries and dealers from London, Paris, Antwerp, and beyond, showcasing works in the selling show "500 Years of Drawing."

Trois Crayons, named after the technique of using black, white, and red chalks, was founded last year by investor Sebastien Paraskevas, Alesa Boyle of Stephen Ongpin Fine Art, and Tom Nevile of Day & Faber gallery. The platform aims to enhance awareness of drawings through events, interviews, exhibitions, and newsletters. Paraskevas, who personally funds Trois Crayons, describes the drawings community as “welcoming and generous” and aims to attract new enthusiasts. He balances non-profit initiatives like newsletters and museum projects with the commercial aspect of exhibitions.

Paraskevas notes that the drawings community has only recently begun leveraging social media and digital spaces to reach new audiences. He believes that we are at an exciting juncture where digital and social media can significantly expand the community's reach.

However, nothing compares to experiencing these works in person. The "500 Years of Drawing" exhibition will feature 150 pieces from various periods, including works from Master Artemio in 1490 to contemporary artist Christelle Téa. Paraskevas hopes that there will be something for everyone, regardless of their budget. The exhibition will also include talks by experts from the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum about their respective exhibitions on Michelangelo and the transition from Bruegel to Rubens.

‘Abdul Ali Khan’ by John Smart at the Weiss Gallery © Courtesy the Weiss Gallery

For institutions, exhibitions focusing on drawings and sketches offer a unique type of blockbuster. Sarah Vowles, curator of "Michelangelo: The Last Decades," notes that people are deeply moved by the intimate experience of viewing Michelangelo's works up close.

At the drawings hub, Guy Peppiatt Fine Art features a preparatory work by George Romney for a portrait of Elizabeth Warren as Hebe, priced at £12,500. Stephen Ongpin Fine Art offers several pieces, including a charcoal and white-chalk study by Théodore Chassériau for "The Descent from the Cross" (£42,000). This sketch contrasts the final work's dynamic and theatrical nature with a serene, introspective image of a woman.

Drawings are also on display outside the Trois Crayons hub. Stephen Ongpin's gallery showcases drawings by Baroque master Guercino, priced between £20,000 and £200,000. Elliott Fine Art presents "Portraits, Self-portraits, and Studio Interiors," focusing on works on paper by women artists from the 19th century onwards. Founder Will Elliott describes the experience of discovering and researching these overlooked artists as pioneering. Highlights include a pencil self-portrait by Engelien Reitsma-Valença (£10,000) and a pastel self-portrait by Anne-Marie-Joseph Archinard (£20,000).

The Weiss Gallery features a remarkable piece by John Smart, a preparatory sketch for a miniature now housed at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Director Charles Mackay believes the sitter is Abdul Ali Khan, the grandson of an Indian ruler who was a patron of Smart.

Drawings are also available at auctions. Sotheby’s "Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries" auction on July 3 includes two landscapes by Turner (each estimated at £150,000-£250,000) and a rare study for a head by Jusepe de Ribera (estimated at £150,000-£250,000). The estimates at Sotheby’s range from £4,000 to £250,000, and there are works for all budgets at the hub as well.

Paraskevas emphasizes that the drawings market is more affordable than paintings or sculptures. He notes that with patience, one can acquire beautiful drawings for a few hundred euros. The accessibility and affordability of high-quality works make drawing collections particularly appealing.

June 28-July 5, londonartweek.co.uk