The Fitzwilliam Museum to see Quentin Blake "Drawn By Hand"

Yesterday, Jim, Maurice and I went to Cambridge for the day, to go to the Quentin Blake exhibition "Drawn by Hand" at the Fitzwilliam Museum.  It was free entry too!

This was a tiny exhibition, in one room, but absolutely brilliant.  There were 26 of Quentin Blake's original artworks on display, all completed in the last 10 years.  A couple were of artworks that had subsequently been used for book covers, including David Walliams "A Boy in a Dress".  There was also work on display that celebrated the 800th anniversary of the the founding of Cambridge university.  All his artwork is very freely drawn, giving the impression of the subject, rather than closely observed and tightly drawn. There was a confidence and exuberance in every illustration.

Also on display were his materials, so you could see that he used quill pens, bamboo pens, chinagraph markers and pen & ink.  This is why he has a very free style - the implements give a more irregular mark than fine liners and other pens.  His mark making sample sheets were also displayed.  His watercolours were not in a commercial box.  He had bought whole pans, and stuck them on a large sheet of card, slightly spaced out, and named.  There were in 5 columns of blacks, blues, red/oranges, browns, and greens.  The whole sheet was liberally paint spattered. 

Then Maurice and I went on to look at paintings in the Fitzwilliam Museum.  We were very taken with a pair of images by Hogarth "Before" and "After".  The Before image was of a 17th century couple, with the woman striking a "I couldn't possibly" pose.  The After pose was of the same couple, flush faced, and with strategic clothing awry, in a "Maybe I could" (or "Did") pose.  I sniggered, noted some details of the imagery, and told Maurice, who went back for second look, and he also came back, sniggering!  There were also some lovely 20th century works by Holman Hunt and Millais (The Twins, Kate & Grace Hoare).  Really lovely.

Then Maurice and I went to Kings College to look at the fan vaulted roof of the cathedral.  Here I was very much taken with the hinges, other door furniture and ancient grafitti on the inside of the entrance door.  This was so beautiful that I think I will have a trip back there once Jim is off on his next cycle tour, to sit and draw the details. We had a lovely peaceful wander around Cambridge in the sunshine, when Jim bought various essentials for his next cycle tour and went to a church cafe for lunch.  Maurice bought us the best lunch I have had in years - home made hummus, olive roll and 3 imaginative salads.  We had a wonderful, soul-enriching day, and I was exhausted by the end of it.