Sketchbook titled ‘Journal’

Description

Graphite, ink and watercolour on paper, thirty-five leaves and three loose leaves plus covers, 256 × 218 mm

This sketchbook is titled 'Journal' and covers Gaudier-Brzeska's first year in London. It is dated ('commence 5 Avril 1911') and is made up of thirty-five pages, with three loose pages, and a pencil self-portrait.

The drawings illustrate Gaudier-Brzeska's continuing interest in symbolism and there are many important notes about his developing aesthetic theories.

There are three pages of notes dated on various days in April 1911. The notes detail ideas for posters, cartoons and what appear to be proposals for wallpaper designs for Sanderson. There are also fantastical studies of gryphons and satyrs, studies of male nudes, two pages of notes on 'La Question Juive', and a page of notes on the role of sculpture in Egypt, Greece, the Middle Ages, Renaissance and the modernist period.

There are many drawings of trees, two are signed 7 May 1911 and three are captioned in Polish, and sketches of male and female nudes are prominent throughout the book.

Page 1, rough caricature of a horse with very short legs
Page 2, blank
Page 3, profile drawing of a horse with its mouth open
Page 4, blank
Page 5, notes on colours
Page 6, page of notes
Page 7, page of notes
Page 8, studies of a branch and sparrow, and smaller studies of herons
Page 9, two studies of branches with leaves and flowers
Page 10, blank
Page 11, several studies of flowers, a goldfish and a black cat
Page 12, study of a partially nude woman wearing a long, flowing skirt
Page 13, sketch of three fish forms
Page 14, blank
Page 15, unidentifiable sketch
Page 16, two sketches of a nude male posing, seen from the front and behind
Page 17, page of artist's notes
Page 18, sketch of a dragon
Page 19, sketch of a partially nude male seen from the shoulders down
Page 20, sketch of a male torso with his arms behind his back
Page 21, sketch of a bent knee
Page 22, rough sketch of a dragon
Page 23, sketch of two mythical figures with tails, one blowing into an instrument
Page 24, sketches of a man smacking a boy with his shoe and a devil-like creature
Page 25, sketch of three figures, one male and two females
Page 26, sketch of two seated nude figures, one sitting on the floor
Page 27, sketch of a dishevelled man standing by a chair
Page 28, artist's notes
Page 29, artist's notes
Page 30, artist's notes
Page 31, sketch of a parkland landscape
Page 32, sketch of the top of a bare and leafless tree
Page 33, sketch of a leafless tree
Page 34, sketch of a leafless tree
Page 35, sketch of a park landscape with a tree in the foreground
Page 36, sketch of a tall leafless tree
Page 37, studies of a tree and two deer
Page 38, sketch of a hilly landscape with a tall tree
Page 39, sketch of a leafless tree with a woman bending down beside it
Page 40, studies of branches
Page 41, eight studies of shell forms and a thorny plant
Page 42, sketch of a seated nude male holding a pen
Page 43, sketch of a reclining nude male seen from the shoulders down
Page 44, blank
Page 45, studies of a nude female seen in various positions
Page 46, three profile studies of male nude forms
Page 47, sketch of a nude male form seen from the neck down
Page 48, profile sketch of a nude man extending his left arm
Page 49, sketch of a nude man seen from the front with his arms stretched up
Page 50, sketch of a seated nude man seen from the chin down
Page 51, sketch of a seated nude man's torso with his arms behind his back
Page 52, sketch of a man's torso
Page 53, note of addresses, and a study of a flying stork-like bird
Page 54, large study of a male nude and three smaller studies of a female nude
Page 55, faint indecipherable sketch
Page 56, faint indecipherable sketch
Page 57, faint indecipherable sketch
Page 58, faint indecipherable sketch
Page 59, faint indecipherable sketch
Page 60, sketch of entwining branches
Page 61, blank
Page 62, studies of an elderly woman with her hair in a bun seen in profile and from behind
Page 63, sketch of an elderly woman with a bun seen from behind
Page 64, two studies of an elderly woman seen from behind leaning on a wall
Page 65, profile sketch of an elderly woman looking down
Page 66, blank
Page 67, blank
Page 68, sketch of a seated nude female seen from the neck down
Page 69, sketch of a nude female seen from another view
Page 70, sketch of a female nude standing against a dark wall
Page 71, blank
Page 72, indecipherable sketch
Page 73, blank
Page 74, blank

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