A Chenil Blue Book sketchbook (untitled)

Description

Graphite and conté crayon on paper, thirty-eight leaves plus covers, two loose leaves, 205 × 139 mm

This sketchbook was left untitled and undated by Gaudier-Brzeska but its content illustrates the evolution of his Vorticist style, and its relationships to known sculptures mean it can be accurately dated to 1913-14. The book contains a significant group of drawings that represent Gaudier's artistic maturity, several animal and human drawings and detailed sketches for sculptures, mainly in the Vorticist style. The animals depicted are deer, vultures, fish, kangaroos, dogs, cats and a penguin.

Drawings in this book can be connected to three specific sculptures: 'Torpedo Fish' 1914 (Tate T01097), 'Fish' 1914 (Tate T13034) and 'Brass Toy' 1914. It may be assumed that the many studies of fish are linked to the missing green Irish marble sculpture 'Fish'. Many drawings within this sketchbook can presumably be linked to either unmade or lost works.

Twenty-one detached pages from this book are in the Gaudier collection in Orléans.

Page 1, sketch of an abstract form
Page 2, blank
Page 3, sketch of an abstract form
Page 4, blank
Page 5, sketch of an abstract form
Page 6, blank
Page 7, sketch of an abstract form
Page 8, blank
Page 9, abstract sketch of a reclining figure
Page 10, blank
Page 11, sketch of an abstract form
Page 12, blank
Page 13, sketch of a hoofed animal
Page 14, blank
Page 15, sketch of a deer-like animal grazing
Page 16, sketch of a map (left side)
Page 17, sketch of a map (right side)
Page 18, blank
Page 19, unidentifiable sketch
Page 20, blank
Page 21, sketch of three abstract forms
Page 22, sketch of an abstract form
Page 23, blank
Page 24, sketch of an abstract form
Page 25, sketch of an abstract form
Page 26, sketch of an abstract form
Page 27, unidentifiable sketch
Page 28, sketch of three abstract forms
Page 29, sketch of an abstract design
Page 30, studies of two abstract designs
Page 31, study of two abstract forms
Page 32, blank
Page 33, profile sketch of a vulture
Page 34, sketch of a vulture seen from the front
Page 35, studies of two fish and a fish's head
Page 36, studies of two long-bodied fish
Page 37, studies of three goldfish
Page 38, studies of three fish, two seen from above and one seen from its side
Page 39, studies of a fish and a fish's head
Page 40, rough sketch of the outline of a fish
Page 41, profile sketch of two fish
Page 42, blank
Page 43, unfinished sketch of a fish
Page 44, faint sketch of a carp-like fish
Page 45, profile sketch of a carp-like fish
Page 46, two unfinished outlines of a fish
Page 47, rough profile sketch of a fish
Page 48, sketch of a pelican-like aquatic bird
Page 49, sketch of an aquatic bird
Page 50, study of a penguin
Page 51, two sketches of a pike, seen from the side and a close up of its head
Page 52, sketch of the upper-half of a pike
Page 53, two sketches of a pike showing its upper-half and caudal fin
Page 54, sketch of a rough outline of a frog seen from above
Page 55, sketch of two abstract forms
Page 56, sketch of an abstract form
Page 57, faint indecipherable sketch
Page 58, sketch of a nude woman pouring water over her head
Page 59, sketch of a woman bathing
Page 60, sketch of an abstract form
Page 61, sketch of a cat
Page 62, sketch of a nude form
Page 63, blank
Page 64, sketches of abstract figures
Page 65, three studies of abstract forms
Page 67, two sketches of abstract figures with their hands on their faces
Page 68, sketch of a dog lying down
Page 69, indecipherable sketch within a circle
Page 70, blank
Page 71, blank
Page 72, sketch of a squirrel-like animal
Page 73, rough sketch of a squirrel-like animal
Page 74, profile sketch of the outline of a squirrel-like animal
Page 75, sketch of a cowering abstract figure
Page 76, abstract sketch of a bird
Page 77, blank

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