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The Courtesan thumbnail 2
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The Courtesan

Drawing
1912 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Percy Wyndham Lewis was among the first artists in Britain to incorporate elements of the experimental European movements Cubism, Expressionism and Futurism into his work. He developed a distinctive style which was characterised by linear and formal distortion. Lewis founded the Vorticist group, a short-lived avant-garde movement which used angular and repetitive forms to express the experience of modernity.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleThe Courtesan (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
ink and pastel
Brief description
Drawing, The Courtesan, by Wyndham Lewis, pen and ink and pastel, 1912
Physical description
Drawing of two abstracted, geometric faces
Dimensions
  • Height: 275mm
  • Width: 185mm
Dimensions from catalogue: 11 1/4 x 9 5/8 inches.
Style
Marks and inscriptions
W. Lewis 1912 (Signed)
Credit line
Given by the family of the late Capt. Lionel Guy Baker, in accordance with his expressed wishes, 1919.
Object history
Presented by the family of the late Captain Lionel Guy Baker, in accordance with his expressed wishes
Summary
Percy Wyndham Lewis was among the first artists in Britain to incorporate elements of the experimental European movements Cubism, Expressionism and Futurism into his work. He developed a distinctive style which was characterised by linear and formal distortion. Lewis founded the Vorticist group, a short-lived avant-garde movement which used angular and repetitive forms to express the experience of modernity.
Bibliographic references
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1919, London: Printed Under the Authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1921
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters and Methods since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 155, fig. 124
  • Edwards, Paul (ed.), Wyndham Lewis, 1882-1957 . Fundación Juan March, Madrid, 2010
  • Wyndham Lewis and Vorticism. Tate Gallery, London, 1956, no. 23
  • Michel, Walter, Wyndham Lewis: Paintings and Drawings . London: Thames and Hudson, 1971, no. 44
  • Wyndham Lewis , City of Manchester Art Galleries, Manchester, 1980, no. 11
Collection
Accession number
E.3761-1919

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Record createdFebruary 2, 2009
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