Overview

Drawing is at the heart of human creativity. The most democratic form of art-making, it requires nothing more than a plain surface and a stub of pencil, a piece of chalk or an inky brush. Our prehistoric ancestors drew with natural pigments on the walls of caves, and every subsequent culture has practised drawing – whether on papyrus, parchment or paper. Artists throughout history have used drawing as part of the creative process. While painting and sculpture have been shaped heavily by money and influence, drawing has always offered extraordinary creative latitude. Here we see the artist at his or her most unguarded. Susan Owens offers a glimpse over artists' shoulders – from Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Hokusai to Van Gogh, Käthe Kollwitz and Yayoi Kusama – as they work, think and innovate, as they scrutinise the world around them or escape into their imaginations. The Story of Drawing loops around the established history of art, sometimes staying close, at other times diving into exhilarating and altogether less familiar territory. 'Here is a perceptive and sensitive investigation into the history (and mystery) of drawing —the most direct and intimate activity of the artist. A book of real discovery."" Maggie Hambling, artist ""This book is a joy to read; a model of clarity and enlivened by dry humour. Owens successfully provides, within a single volume, an accessible introduction to the history of drawing from antiquity to the present, in a global context."" Mark Evans, author of Renaissance Watercolours from Dürer to Van Dyck ""For each artist and work of art discussed, Owens captures the moment in which the drawings were made through evocative details: the physical environment, the people involved, the sights, sounds and smells, and the actions of the artist."" Catherine Daunt, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Graphic Art at The British Museum

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9780300260472

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Reviews

"'Here is a perceptive and sensitive investigation into the history (and mystery) of drawing --the most direct and intimate activity of the artist. A book of real discovery."" Maggi Hambling, artist ""This book is a joy to read; a model of clarity and enlivened by dry humour. Owens successfully provides, within a single volume, an accessible introduction to the history of drawing from antiquity to the present, in a global context."" Mark Evans, author of Renaissance Watercolours from D�rer to Van Dyck ""For each artist and work of art discussed, Owens captures the moment in which the drawings were made through evocative details: the physical environment, the people involved, the sights, sounds and smells, and the actions of the artist."" Catherine Daunt, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Graphic Art at The British Museum"

- “[A] compelling and enlightening book.” —Michael Prodger, APOLLO  

"‘Here is a perceptive and sensitive investigation into the history (and mystery) of drawing —the most direct and intimate activity of the artist.  A book of real discovery."" Maggi Hambling, artist ""This book is a joy to read; a model of clarity and enlivened by dry humour. Owens successfully provides, within a single volume, an accessible introduction to the history of drawing from antiquity to the present, in a global context."" Mark Evans, author of Renaissance Watercolours from Dürer to Van Dyck ""For each artist and work of art discussed, Owens captures the moment in which the drawings were made through evocative details: the physical environment, the people involved, the sights, sounds and smells, and the actions of the artist."" Catherine Daunt, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Graphic Art at The British Museum"

Author Information

Dr Susan Owens is a writer, art historian and former V&A curator. Her previous books include The Art of Drawing, Spirit of Place and Imagining England’s Past. 

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