Before life drawing at TATE Modern on Monday I spent the afternoon at the Henri Rousseau exhibition. The first room has an incredible sculpture by Emmanuel Fremiet. 'Gorilla carring off a woman' caused a sensation at the 1889 World Fair with its depiction of bestial savagery. It's a really dynamic piece - like a Frazetta drawing in three dimensions. Fremiet was Master of Drawing at Paris' Natural History Museum where Rousseau would go & draw plants & animals for reference. A google search turns up lots more of his dynamic sculpture. The animal sculptures look like Heinrich Kley's drawings.
The 'Senegal Lion attacking an Antelope' are stuffed animals that Rousseau used as reference for his painting 'The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on The Antelope'.
I love the studies! Very powerful and clean line. What pencil are you using?
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelsey. I did these with an ivory black pencil from Derwent Studio. They can be real sharp to start with then as they become blunt they get softer for blocking in tonework/shadows.
ReplyDeleteMatt it is amazing how much time you spend drawing. i really love the work from your sketch books. Thanks for sharing. By the way I seem to have lost franks e-mail? I'll keep looking. I have his mobile in Paris though I'll text you that. HK
ReplyDeleteCheers Heath, I'll be in Paris this weekend, though not sure if I'll have time to visit him. Let me have his number anyway. The man surely has a blog too?
ReplyDeleteMatt! Thanks so much for posting these! You seem to always introduce me to artists that are unknown to me. I appreciate that! Strong, confident sketches as always!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing more of your sketches from Paris. Have a great trip!
Cheers Smook,not sure I'll get much sketching done on this trip!
ReplyDeleteI saw a piece on the teev about the gorilla statue only yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHow funny you should post about it the next day.
i'll go defenitely to Henri Rousseau,s.
ReplyDeleteYou sketches are very nice and strong, and I like this post because the mix of sculptures, sketches and photograps.
Great post Matt! Thanks for mentioning the Derwent pencil, too. It's been a while since we used them. I'd forgotten how nice they are. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteTHese are amazing!!
ReplyDeletethese are just amazing
ReplyDeleteVEry very nice studies!! Lovely works!
ReplyDeleteYour drawing just seems to get better and better. When you gonna reach that plateu?.....great draughtsmanship!!
ReplyDeleteno snide comments here!!!
Lovely sketches of a typical hairy Welshman. It must take you guys weeks for a Back, Sack and Crack wax.
ReplyDeleteYou went up another level on the Tate drawings Monsieur Jones, they are sublime. Inspiring work.
Nice sketches and nice Blog!
ReplyDeleteI like Fremiet. One of my favorite pieces is the Lizard.
absolutely fantastic!
ReplyDelete