Don't miss three must-see drawing exhibitions this winter

Feb. 12, 2016

Drawing is at the forefront in London’s major galleries this winter. Discover the diverse ways in which drawing has underpinned the practice of artists, from the Renaissance master Botticelli at the Courtauld Gallery, to contemporary installation art at the Lisson Gallery.

Thinking through drawing: Chris Wilkinson RA - Royal Academy

Chris Wilkinson RA, Concept drawings for the Crown Sydney Hotel (due for completion in 2019), from a 2013 sketchbook

Chris Wilkinson RA, Crown Hotel, Sydney, Australia (completion due 2019). Sketchbook. Photo Royal Academy of Arts Photography: John Bodkin, DawkinsColour © Chris Wilkinson RA.

The Royal Academy exhibition reveals a selection of sketchbooks, drawings and watercolours by renowned architect Chris Wilkinson RA, set alongside architectural objects. In an age dominated by digital media, Wilkinson is passionate about the importance of drawing by hand. “Drawing is a form of communication,” he says, “I think it’s important young architects understand it’s still important – working on computers isn’t enough.” Wilkinson’s personal sketchbooks give a fascinating insight into the architect’s creative process over the last 30 years. Dash down to the Royal Academy soon – the exhibition ends 14th February!

If you can't make it to the exhibition, listen to this podcast featuring Chris Wilkinson discussing the significance of drawing with Royal Drawing School Senior Faculty artist Humphrey Ocean RA. 

Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection – Courtauld Gallery 

Sandro Botticelli, Paradiso 6, Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin (detail)                                                 
Sandro Botticelli, Paradiso 6, Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin (detail)

Visit the Courtauld from 18th February for the opportunity to see thirty of Botticelli’s rarely exhibited drawings for Dante’s Divine Comedy, one of the canonical works of Western literature and an inspiration for centuries of artists. Follow Dante’s journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, with ten of Botticelli’s exquisite drawings from each of the three parts of the Divine Comedy. The works will be shown alongside a selection of outstanding Renaissance illuminated manuscripts, including the monumental Hamilton Bible, which returns to the UK for the first time since it was sold to Berlin in 1882 by the 12th Duke of Hamilton.

Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection runs until 15th May 2016

Line – Lisson Gallery

Victoria Haven Paint and ink on tape on wall Dimensions variable
Victoria Haven, Paint and ink on tape on wall

Recalling Paul Klee’s famous phrase “a line is a point, which goes for a walk”, this group exhibition, curated by the Drawing Room, features fifteen international artists whose experimental approach to line takes it across the gallery walls and into three-dimensional space in diverse ways. The exhibition spans from the late 1960s, with American conceptual artist Tom Marioni’s One Second Sculpture (1969), to site-specific pieces made for the exhibition, including Victoria Haven’s minimalist and geometrical abstractions in paint and ink on tape.

Line runs from 22nd January – 12th March 2016

More info here