Sketching people at the Picasso exhibition at Tate Britain

The Draw London Group visited the environment around Tate Britain recently. I was suffering from sun dazzle and no visor - after lots of sketching on very sunny days - and decided to opt for the Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition at Tate Britain.

These are sketches of people viewing the exhibition.  As always they are composites of people coming and going in the exhibition and I assemble the drawing one person at a time.

Visitors to the Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition at Tate Britain #1
pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook, 11" x 16"
© Katherine Tyrrell - all rights reserved

I've just noticed that the perspective lines are not all in alignment in the sketch above.  But that's what happen's when you're focused on the people rather than the perspective!

The one below involved sitting the other side of a door with glass panels and looking through at the people in the next gallery.  It's an excellent way to sketch without being "in your face".

Visitors to the Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition at Tate Britain #1
pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook, 11" x 16"
© Katherine Tyrrell - all rights reserved

Plus a sketch of one of Picasso's paintings which I've always liked a lot.

As always I learned a tremendous amount just trying to get a sense of the forum and the colour using pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils.

Sketch of " Child with a Dove" (1901) by Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881-1973)
 oil on canvas, 73cm by 54cm
pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine sketchbook
sketch and photograph © Katherine Tyrrell - all rights reserved

The painting is one of Picasso's earliest works.

It was painted when he was just 19 and sold to Mrs. R. A. Workman, 1924. Samuel Courtauld purchased it from her in 1928 and then it was bequeathed by him to Christabel McLaren, Lady Aberconway on his death in 1947. It remains in the Aberconwy family and has been loaned out to different galleries in London.  When it's not in the current exhibition it can normally be seen at the The Courtauld Gallery.

However I gather there is an inheritance tax bill and the Arts Council has been notified of an Intention to Sell this work which it's thought might be valued at around £50 million.

It's unlikely that any UK gallery can afford this sum and it was announced last month that the painting may leave the UK.  So if you want to see it before it disappears make a point of visiting the Picasso exhibition soon!