November 2023
Wednesday, November 1
Trois Crayons (French, "three crayons") The technique of drawing with black, white and red chalks (à trois crayons) on a paper of middle tone, for example mid-blue or buff. It was particularly popular in early and mid-18th century France with artists such as Antoine Watteau and François Boucher. (Clarke, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms)
Coming Up
Dear all,
Greetings from Trois Crayons HQ. To our new readers, thank you for joining us. To our older readers, welcome back and thank you for such an enthusiastic response to our inaugural issue. It has been extremely encouraging to read all the constructive, and (for the most part) positive feedback.
In drawings news, October saw the sale of a “Raphael” drawing in Vienna for €338,000; a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, rediscovered by a French auction house in 2016, has finally been awarded an export license after a long running court case; Master Drawings New York has launched a new website and announced the dates for next year’s fair (27 January – 3 February); and a drawing of a sleeping cat, purchased for an eyebrow-raising €160,000 in 2020, returned for sale in Italy with a more modest estimate of €900 - €1,300.
For this month’s issue we have picked out 10 events from across the UK and around the world and spoken with Maria Aresin at the Kunsthalle Bremen about her favourite drawing. Lara L’vov-Basirov has offered a few insider tips for first-time auction buyers, and our editor has reviewed an exhibition of Genoese drawings at the British Museum. The customary selection of literary and audio recommendations follows our real or fake section. Readers of a certain generation may be familiar with this pair, but can they remember which is which?
As we develop our programme, readership and format, your recommendations, comments and event listings are welcomely encouraged. Please direct any feedback to tom@troiscrayons.art.
EVENTS
We are still asking curators, academics and dealers to help us provide a more comprehensive community calendar on our website. If any of these labels apply to you, or you are a potential event organiser and would like your institution to receive our brief monthly circular compiling upcoming events, please do get in touch.
uk
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Drawing of the Month
Jacopo Palma il Giovane (Jacopo Negretti) (1548–1628)
Hand, head and figure studies
Pen and brown ink and wash on paper, 95 x 125 mm, Kunsthalle Bremen – Der Kunstverein in Bremen, Kupferstichkabinett, Inv. 1924/36
Maria Aresin, Curator for Prints and Drawings until 1800 at the Kunsthalle Bremen, has kindly chosen our second “drawing of the month”. Her choice, following on from Rosie Razzall’s Pisanello last month, reaffirms the curator’s affinity for the working study drawing.
“One of my favourite drawings in the collection is a sheet of studies by the Venetian artist Palma il Giovane. It makes for the perfect case study on Palma’s working method, compiling studies for three different purposes on one piece of paper. Two detailed studies of a right hand are framed by a sketch of a lying or crouching male nude on the left and the head of bearded man in profile to the right. The sheet is cut on all sides with some strokes in the lower right corner indicating the former continuation and original format.
Palma was one of the most prolific draftspersons of his time. His first biographer Carlo Ridolfi reported that he used every free minute of his day to draw and, indeed, more than 2000 of his drawings have survived in museum and private collections. The Bremen sketch sheet does not only confirm his incessant need to draw ideas and develop forms on paper, it also shows two different modes of drawing side by side: a carefully drawn, hatched and wash-enhanced study of hands, and swiftly scribbled figure drawings that were probably meant as a prima idea for figures in a painting. It is through this sort of private sketch sheets that we probably feel closest to the artist’s mind and working processes.”
Review
Superb line: prints and drawings from Genoa 1500-1800 (5 Oct 2023 – 1 Apr 2024)
British Museum, London
Superb line: prints and drawings from Genoa 1500-1800 is the latest free exhibition to be housed in the British Museum’s Prints and drawings room (Room 90). Composed of some fifty works selected from the museum’s rich collection of Italian works on paper the exhibition charts 300 years of Genoese graphic history.
The prosperous port city, nicknamed ‘La Superba’ by Petrach, spawned a number of well-known artists, including Luca Cambiaso, Bernardo Strozzi and Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, and a greater number of lesser-known ones, including Giovanni Battista Paggi, Giulio Bruno and Clemente Bocciardo, all of whom are represented in the exhibition whose focus, in terms of subject matter, is primarily religious and mythological over landscape or portrait.
As a commercial trading centre, Genoa’s artistic developments were closely linked to its ability to import talent. Luminaries such as Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Sir Anthony van Dyck and Jean-Honoré Fragonard all spent time in the city and the links between these visitors and the city’s native artists are an underlying theme.
Arranged chronologically the exhibition takes its cue from the arrivals of Perino del Vaga and Baccio Bandinelli in 1528. Both artists worked under commission for projects relating to Andrea Doria, Genoa’s leading citizen, and Bandinelli’s depiction of Doria as Neptune makes for a powerful marker of Genoese ambition.
Perino’s practice of making rapid preliminary drawings was adopted by Cambiaso and the artists of his school, who are represented through three characteristic works. The shadow of van Dyck, who is represented by a page from his Italian Sketchbook, is evident in the drawing style of Orazio de Ferrari and to a lesser extent in the oil sketches of Castiglione. Genoese artistic dynasties such as the Piola and Castello families are also on display, their drawings exemplifying the distinctive styles of Genoese draughtsmanship and autonomous artistic developments that occurred over the chosen period.
The exhibition presents a perfect opportunity to see works that are rarely on display from an artistic centre whose renown is often overshadowed by its rivals, Venice, Florence and Rome.
DEMYSTIFYING DRAWINGS
How To: BUY AT AUCTION
Lara L’vov Basirov, this week’s auction agony aunt and head of sale for the Old Master, British & European pictures department at Roseberys, provides a crash course.
As a newcomer to the worlds of drawings and auctions, there are many questions to ask and seemingly innumerable obstacles to navigate. Fortunately, thanks to online platforms, buying drawings at auction is actually no harder than using a site like Ebay.
Where to start?
A good place to start is with your own taste. Find what periods and styles of drawing appeal to you most by visiting museums and exhibitions. Focus on the drawings which speak to you and spend time with them rather than flitting. Take your curiosity further and explore books, Instagram accounts, exhibition catalogues and digital museum collections. With a firmer idea of what you like, it’s time to tackle the market.
What’s in a name?
Purchasing an autograph work by an Old Master is always satisfying. These drawings tend to be pricier than drawings where the artist is unknown, or where the work is “attributed to” a certain artist. Anonymity should not be a deterrent, however. In fact, these anonymous works can often be just as compelling and, if you like detective work, the hunt for an attribution can be engrossing.
Step 1:BROWSE
Browse an online platform or local showroom, Invaluable, The Saleroom and Drouot centralise many auction items. Filter by date, category, price, period or medium.
Step 2:SEE IN PERSON
If the auction is local, see the item in person. Viewing days are listed on the auctioneer’s website. If you cannot view the item in person contact the auctioneer for more images and request a “condition report”.
Step 3:REGISTER
Create an account with your chosen online platform or with the auctioneers (this option saves a 3-5% platform fee). Register for the specific auction that includes your item. ID and an address verification document are usually required.
Step 4:BID
Bid online, in person, via the phone or leave a maximum-bid. Calls must be pre-arranged. Be mindful of Buyers’ Premium which at present generally falls anywhere between 25% and 28% + VAT on top of hammer prices for UK auction houses.
Step 5:PAY & COLLECT
The online platform or auctioneer will send you an invoice which can be paid digitally. They may also recommend local shippers who can deliver the item if you cannot collect it yourself. Buying locally saves on shipping fees which can range greatly depending on the size and location of the auction house.
How do I know what a fair price is?
The bracketed pre-auction estimate is usually a sound indicator of a fair price. You may hold certain drawings in higher esteem however, or perhaps they carry personal significance. Allow a combination of these factors to guide your evaluation. Art market data can also help (seek comparisons on Artnet or MutualArt). Remember though, once a drawing has gone, it has gone, and might not come up on the market for years or even generations.
What pitfalls should I look out for?
Beware the online third-party bidding sites which charge an additional buyers’ commission. Factor in any additional costs that might apply such as shipping, restoration and framing. Accidentally purchasing a “Fake” should not be an issue. A reputable auction house will carry out necessary due diligence on every lot and if something comes to light post purchase the auction house will take back the work and offer a full refund.
Do I need to dress up to bid in person?
By all means, put on your gladdest rags and bid away. For better or worse however, dress codes have relaxed since the days of Roger Moore’s “Octopussy”. Although auction houses may seem to be intimidating arenas the staff are generally friendly and accommodating.
Why a drawing and not a print or painting?
Drawings present an immediacy that is seldom found in prints and paintings. They are windows into an artist’s thought processes and working methods, reminders of their invention and humanity. Furthermore, unlike paintings and prints, drawings are often wholly unique, and fine examples can be picked up for low prices in today’s market.
Any closing words of wisdom?
Do your research before the day of the auction. View the drawings in the flesh, take notes and scrutinise condition. Discuss the drawing with the auction house’s specialists. Trust your gut and if a particular lot really appeals to you (having considered it fully), then go for it!
“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
The catalogue for Roseberys’ upcoming auction of Old Master, British and European Pictures on 22nd November, which includes a number of drawings, is available to view here.
Real or Fake
Can we fool you? The term “fake” may be slightly sensationalist when it comes to old drawings. Copying originals and prints has long formed a key part of an artist’s education and with the passing of time the distinction between the two can be innocently mistaken.
In 1988 one of these drawings was acquired by a prominent American institution. It was acknowledged to be a preparatory study for an etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. It is a fabulous fantastical design. The only problem was that another drawing of exact same motif already existed in a Danish institution. This second drawing had entered the museum in 1969 via the dealer Hans Calmann and the Ny Carlsberg Foundation. It was also catalogued as a preparatory study for the same Piranesi engraving. Through comparison and the emergence of this second work scholars smelt a rat.
Although the claims of forgery were debated in the early 1990s, it is generally accepted that the drawing is neither a second preparatory work, nor a copy after the first drawing, but a genuine fake (if you’ll pardon the paradox). But which is which? For a bonus point: name the infamous forger.
Scroll to the end of the newsletter for answers.
Resources and Recommendations
to listen
Michelangelo’s Drawings: Mind of the Master
Is there such thing as too much Michelangelo? In 2020 Jim Cuno spoke with Edina Adam and Julian Brooks, co-curators of the J. Paul Getty Museum’s covid-disrupted exhibition Michelangelo: Mind of the Master. Around two dozen of the master’s drawings were brought together for the show which sadly too few people had the chance to see. The discussion covers Michelangelo’s graphic evolution, workshop processes and elements of his biography.
to watch
A Market for Imitation -- Engraving Drawing in Eighteenth-Century France
Sarah Grandin, Clark-Getty curatorial fellow, discusses the role of prints in making drawing more accessible to the growing marketplace of 18th century France. New processes such as the “crayon manner” engraving achieved extreme fidelity in the reproduction of drawings and new technologies allowed for the accurate replication of chalk’s contours and textures. Significantly, Grandin explains how to spot the difference between these hyper-realistic engravings and original drawings.
to read
A fascinating scholarly article by Barbara Tramelli on Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo and one of the lesser-known academies of the late 16th century, the Accademia de la Val di Blenio. Founded in 1560 in Milan the members of the academy included painters, sculptors, engineers, actors, and artisans. Under the influence of Bacchus, God of wine, the academicians assumed the guise of peasants, facchini, and drew caricatures. The academy placed an emphasis on the virtue of humility in spite of intellectual ambition.
answer
The original, of course, is on the left (the higher image if you are viewing on mobile). It is held in the J. Paul Getty Museum, L.A. (inv. no.: 88.GB.18).
Bonus Point: The second drawing, acquired by the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen (inv. no.: KKS1969-147), in 1969, came under further scrutiny when the master forger Eric Hebborn claimed the work for his own in his 1991 autobiography “Drawn to Trouble”. Although Hebborn’s own claims to authorship received scrutiny at the time the work’s inauthenticity was more readily accepted.
