'Blot' drawing thumbnail 1
'Blot' drawing thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level H , Case PD, Shelf 174, Box A

'Blot' drawing

Drawing
ca.1750-86 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Alexander Cozens (artist)
Place of origin
London (drawn)

The artist and drawing-master Alexander Cozens regarded drawing as a means of tapping the imagination. He devised a method of drawing a ‘blot’ with ink and a broad brush. This had to be done rapidly and without too much conscious thought. The ‘blot’ would then be used as the basis for an invented landscape: any contours suggestive of trees, hills and mountains would be traced and used to create a new composition.


Object details

Categories
Drawings
Landscapes
Object type
Drawing
Titles
  • 'Blot' drawing (assigned by artist)
  • Landscape study (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Brush and black ink
Ink
Drawing
Brief description
'Blot' drawing by Alexander Cozens (1717-1786), idea for a landscape in brush and black ink. Great Britain, ca.1750-86.
Physical description
Landscape study in brush and black ink.
Dimensions
  • Height: 18.3cm
  • Width: 23.7cm
Object history
Purchased from the Walker Galleries, London, in 1920
Subject depicted
Landscapes
Summary
The artist and drawing-master Alexander Cozens regarded drawing as a means of tapping the imagination. He devised a method of drawing a ‘blot’ with ink and a broad brush. This had to be done rapidly and without too much conscious thought. The ‘blot’ would then be used as the basis for an invented landscape: any contours suggestive of trees, hills and mountains would be traced and used to create a new composition.
Bibliographic reference
Coombs, Katherine British watercolours : 1750-1950 . London: V&A Publications, 2012 p.69, pl.57
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.4276-1920

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1025246/blot-drawing-drawing-alexander-cozens/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest