Exhibition

100 Great British Drawings

Name: 100 Great British Drawings | The Huntington
Location: The Huntington

June 18–Sept. 5, 2022 | Tracing the evolution of the practice of drawing in Britain from the 17th through the mid-20th century, the exhibition presents rarely seen treasures from The Huntington’s collection.

John Roddam Spencer Stanhope (1829–1908), Millpond, ca. 1870. Watercolor and opaque watercolor on wove paper, 16 3/4 x 24 5/8 in. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Matilda Conyers (ca. 1698–1793), Wallflower and Tulip, 1767. Watercolor and opaque watercolor over traces of graphite with brown ink (est. iron gall) inscriptions on vellum, 9 x 6 1/4 in. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Gwen John (1876–1939), Two Hatted Women in Church, 1920s. Matte water-based transparent paint on wove paper, 8 3/4 x 6 7/8 in. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Samuel Palmer (1805–1881), Lonely Tower, ca. 1881. Opaque watercolor over traces of graphite on board, 7 x 9 5/8 in. Gilbert Davis Collection, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Thomas Rowlandson (1756 or 1757–1827), A French Frigate Towing an English Man-o'-War into Port, ca. 1790. Pen and black ink and watercolor on laid paper, 10 3/4 x 8 1/2 in. Gilbert Davis Collection, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Paul Sandby (1731–1809), Band Box Seller, ca. 1760. Brush and black ink and wash with red and yellow watercolor over traces of graphite on laid paper, 7 7/8 x 6 1/4 in. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey, ca. 1825–36. Watercolor and opaque watercolor over traces of graphite with scraping out on wove paper, 11 1/2 x 16 3/4 in. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.

Tracing the evolution of the practice of drawing in Britain from the 17th through the mid-20th century, “100 Great British Drawings” presents rarely seen treasures from The Huntington’s collection. The Huntington’s important collection of British drawings and watercolors is among the largest outside of Britain, with more than 12,000 works representing the great masters of the medium. Drawing is the most spontaneous and intimate of art forms, revealing the thoughts and mood of the artist through the stroke of a pen or touch of a brush dipped in watercolor. It is a practice especially associated with British artists, whose engagement with the medium is revealed in this major exhibition of 100 artworks.

Works by William Blake, John Constable, Thomas Gainsborough, and J. M. W. Turner are featured, as well as examples by artists associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and early 20th-century modernism. A fully illustrated catalog accompanies the exhibition to reveal for the first time the strength and diversity of The Huntington’s collection, a significant portion of which has never been published before.

Exhibition Catalog

Excursions of Imagination: 100 British Drawings from The Huntington's Collection

Spotify Playlist

A musical companion to the exhibition, this playful playlist of 100 Great British Songs features an eclectic mix of songs by David Bowie, Soul II Soul, Dua Lipa, The Beatles, the Spice Girls, and more. Enjoy the sounds and share the playlist with your friends.

(A free Spotify account is required to access this playlist)

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