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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level H , Case PD, Shelf 126

Billet

Drawing
1915 (made)
Artist/Maker
Bomberg, David (artist)
Place of origin
England (made)

David Bomberg was one of the most radical artists of the early 20th century. Although the human figure remained central to his compositions, he sought a way of expressing it in angular and impersonal terms. In Billet Bomberg uses line in a novel way, constructing the planes of the composition from a dense mesh of parallel or crossed straight lines.


Object details

Category
Drawings
Object type
Drawing
TitleBillet (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Conte crayon
Conte Crayon
Drawn
Brief description
'Billet', drawing in Conte crayon by David Bomberg, 1915
Physical description
Drawing.
Dimensions
  • Image height: 392mm
  • Image width: 513mm
  • Sheet height: 440mm
  • Sheet width: 553mm
Marks and inscriptions
David Bomberg 1915 (Signed and dated in conte crayon, bottom left.)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Lilian Bomberg
Object history
Arts council exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Bomberg, 1958. No. 56. Also in 'David Bomberg. Drawings, Watercolours & Prints 1912-1925', 8 June - 9 July 1971, D'Offay Couper Gallery [No. 15 Billet (1915), No. 14 Study for Billet (1915)]
Summary
David Bomberg was one of the most radical artists of the early 20th century. Although the human figure remained central to his compositions, he sought a way of expressing it in angular and impersonal terms. In Billet Bomberg uses line in a novel way, constructing the planes of the composition from a dense mesh of parallel or crossed straight lines.
Bibliographic references
  • Whitechapel at war: Isaac Rosenberg & his circle, London, Ben Uri, The London Jewish Museum of Art, 2008.
  • First exhibited in the New English Art Club exhibition in Summer 1915 (cat. 22).
  • Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1964
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters and Methods since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 157, fig. 126
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
CIRC.254-1964

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Record createdApril 4, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133616/billet-drawing-bomberg-david/
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