London Drum

Drawn To Blue: Artists’ Use Of Blue Paper at the Courtauld

Drawn To Blue: Artists' Use Of Blue PaperPhoto: courtauld.ac.uk
Where? Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, The Strand When? 4th October 2024 to 26th January 2025 10 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun); Last entry 45 mins before closing Price? Included in the cost of admission · See courtauld.ac.uk Usual entry cost: Adults £13.00; Children free entry (under-18) Parking: Nearby car parks Buses: 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 77A, 91, 176 Bus fares Trains: The closest station is Temple Circle District Other nearby stations: Covent Garden and Embankment Train fares

The Courtauld Gallery will be putting together an exhibition of drawings made on blue paper.

Blue paper first appeared in the 14th-century and by the late 16th-century its use had spread from Venice across the rest of Europe, finally becoming popular in England by the 18th-century.

Bacchus by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1751Photo: courtauld.ac.uk
Bacchus by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1751: Courtauld Gallery

Compared to the starkness of white paper, blue paper provided artists with a nuanced mid-tone which was ideal for exploring shade, volume, and creating stronger contrasts between light and dark.

View of Bregenz by JMW Turner, 1840Photo: courtauld.ac.uk
View of Bregenz by JMW Turner, 1840: Courtauld Gallery

The display will feature a range of works from the Renaissance artist Jacopo Tintoretto right up to the English painter JMW Turner, showcasing the benefits of using it for figure and sculpture studies.

This exhibition will also explore how the paper was made and the discovery of its limitations - like how it was prone to fading and discolouration, and later appeared as brown, grey or green.

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