The Camden Town Group in Context

In this drawing four men in profile are looking at something to the right of the composition, probably a film or stage production. The sketch could possibly relate to Drummond’s painting, In the Cinema 1913 (fig.1), which depicts an audience seated within a darkened picture house. Drummond was a student of Walter Sickert, who also depicted an audience watching a film in Gallery of the Old Mogul 1906 (fig.2). However, Sickert was also a keen sketcher of music halls, and Drummond’s drawing could equally depict a music hall or theatre audience. The light tone of the sketch would substantiate this too, in contrast to the dark colours of In the Cinema.

The sketch is on page 12 of a ‘Press Sketch Book’ made by Reeves & Son Ltd, London. The sketchbook has a variety of drawings in it, including figure studies, street scenes, landscapes, performers on stage and nudes. Woman Wearing a Hat, Woman Reading and Man Sleeping are from the same sketchbook (TGA 8915, TGA 8915 and TGA 8915).