Sketchbook 1898/9: PD.156-1994

Awaiting location update

Titles

Sketchbook 1898/9

Maker(s)

Description

Coverboards coverd with white linen. The front cover has a stretched elastic band attached top right and bottom right corners to be slipped over back cover. The back cover has a linen pencil holder. Off-white paper. Collocation: five gatherings containing the following number of leaves: eight (one attached to the front cover); six; five (one torn out); seven (one cut out); eight (one attached to back cover). Many blank pages especially near middle of book.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1994) by Gurney, Sophie, Mrs

Note

In her book, 'Period Piece' (London, 1952), Gwendolen Ravarat describes how, from the age of nine, she attended drawing classes and "kept a sketchbook going, and drew everthing I saw" (p. 64). At the age of thirteen, she was taken abroad for the first time. They passed through Amsterdam where there was a Rembrandt exhibition. "I went absolutely mad, and set out to copy as many of his paintings as I could, in pencil, in a grubby little sketchbook". This must be that sketchbook, containing her copies of some of Rembrandt's paintings, together with other sketches from the journey including sketches from Cologne (one across two sides) and Heidelberg.

School or Style

British

Materials used in production

Graphite

Components of the work

Support composed of paper
Sheet Size Height 88 mm Width 129 mm
Coverboards Height 94 mm Width 133 mm

Inscription or legends present

Text: Made by / CARTRIDGE DRAWING PAPER / WINSOR & NEWTON Ltd, LONDON, ENGLAND
Location: Inside front cover, upper left
Method of creation: Printed label

Text: e 6 d
Location: Inside front cover, upper right

Text: Gwendolen Mary Darwin
Location: Inside front cover, centre of leaf
Type: Signature

Inscription present: Column of figures denoting line score in a game. One column is headed G (presumably Gwendolen Darwin), the other B (presumably her brother, William [Billy] Darwin). Below the columns is inscribed 'I have won' (crossed through) GMD / C? D / Oh did yer just.

Location: Inside back cover, from left to right

Text: heading EVOLUTION then a left-aligned column of words made from letters within 'evolution', each with a 1 written next to them, the 1s tallied beneath to score 13. The words are: tin, ten, 3 ton, tune, 6 tone, 6 note, 9 not, lute, 9 lone (crossed out), line, vote (crossed out), 12 let (crossed out), lit, tole (crossed out), in and a shape that looks like 'g'. The crossed out words have not scored.
Location: Page 1, recto
Method of creation: Graphite
Type: Workings

Inscription present: A valentine poem to a boy

Text: Oh beauteous Prince, so large and strong/Read this missal I have sent/Oh it will not hold thee long/I offer it with both knees bent/If Ferdinant with me you think/Answer me in writing thine/Find the pen, dip it in ink/And write "I am thy valentine"/Valentine to Boy
Location: Page 34, verso, inverted
Method of creation: Graphite
Type: Verse