‘I prefer drawing to talking,’ said Le Corbusier. ‘Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies.’ The Swiss artist and architect was articulating the idea that drawing is a medium of truth-telling transparency. It reveals an artist at his or her most natural: at first hand and in first draft.
It’s on paper that artists can be found trying out their most daring new ideas, too. Their lines vary markedly in size, structure, density and direction.
Drawing in the 20th century became more expressive and less bound by naturalism, moving away from the perspectival strictures that had been adhered to since the Renaissance. It began to explore exciting new territories, tapping into chance, the subconscious, abstraction and more.
On 28 June in London, the Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper sale offers pieces from one of the leading private collections of 20th-century drawing. Here, we pick out seven highlights.
