Drawings & Pastels
Drawing is a type of graphic art created with lines and areas of tone applied to paper usually with pencil, charcoal and coloured pencil, but a wash may also be applied.
They frequently serve as preparatory studies for other works, but are also considered works of art in their own right. A practitioner of drawing is known as a draughtsman.
Pastels are created using a stick made of pure pigment and a binder.
A key part of the general art market, both are also specialist collecting areas in their own right.
![Jacob de Gheyn the Younger drawing](/media/57439/jacob-de-gheyn-sworders-2453nea-24-07-2020.jpg?rxy=0.45588235294117646,0.3306188925081433&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132400766540000000)
Huge bidding battle as rediscovered Old Master military drawings take £125,000 at Sworders
27 July 2020A sensational competition emerged at Essex saleroom Sworders this week as a pair of Old Master drawings attracted 12 phone bidders as well as internet interest.
![img_31-4.jpg](/media/57107/img_31-4.jpg?rxy=0.6470588235294118,0.7010309278350515&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132391182080000000)
The web shop window: Gilbert Scott signed drawing
13 July 2020Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.
![2450 NE01A wainwright Striding Edge Helvellyn.jpg](/media/56943/2450-ne01a-wainwright-striding-edge-helvellyn.jpg?rxy=0.4439918533604888,0.73853211009174313&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132385037140000000)
Pick of the week: New peak for Wainwright as sketch of the fells climbs to £10,200 record
06 July 2020A record price of £10,200 was paid last month for a pen and ink sketch by fell-walking legend Alfred Wainwright at 1818 Auctioneers of Milnthorpe, Cumbria.
![img_40-3.jpg](/media/56899/img_40-3.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132385147060000000)
Feininger before the oil paintings
06 July 2020Without the signature and dedication, this crayon and pencil drawing of 'Dorfhaus mit Baum und Randsteinen' (Village House with Tree and Rocks), coming up for sale at Neumeister in Munich on July 16, would be virtually impossible to attribute to its creator.
![img_47-2.jpg](/media/56251/img_47-2.jpg?rxy=0.31781376518218624,0.51687116564417179&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132366997150000000)
ATG letter: I love this portrait, but who is Ernest?
15 June 2020MADAM – I would be very grateful if any of your readers could shed light on the artist of the attached crayon drawing of Churchill.
![img_34-1.jpg](/media/56227/img_34-1.jpg?rxy=0.53643724696356276,0.37096774193548387&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132366983480000000)
Punchinello comeback and pastels debut help to boost Paris drawings auction
15 June 2020Christie’s (25/20/13.5% buyer’s premium) has held its first live sales in Paris since lockdown.
![img_6-1.jpg](/media/56033/img_6-1.jpg?rxy=0.92355371900826444,0.17916666666666667&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132360832770000000)
Pick of the week: The bones of a fine Old Master drawing
08 June 2020A black chalk drawing of a skeleton drew an extraordinary competition at a German auction house Lempertz at the end of last month. Estimated at €3000-3500, it attracted at least 15 bidders and was eventually knocked down at €420,000 (£381,820) to a French dealer.
![img_31-4.jpg](/media/56008/img_31-4.jpg?rxy=0.44036697247706424,0.29102844638949671&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132360911000000000)
Portrayal of the price of poverty
08 June 2020Under the changed regulations in Germany it would have been possible for Dr Andreas Sturies (20% buyer’s premium) in Düsseldorf to hold the spring auction in front of an audience.
![img_15-2.jpg](/media/55699/img_15-2.jpg?rxy=0.49894736842105264,0.33202357563850687&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132354817310000000)
Faces from Cecil Beaton’s book of the beautiful people
01 June 2020Turning heads at Bonhams Knightsbridge’s sale of Modern British art was a group of 22 pen and ink drawings by Cecil Beaton (1904-80) which formed part of the photographer’s 'The Book of Beauty' published in 1930.
![img_40_1.jpg](/media/55512/img_40_1.jpg?rxy=0.52219873150105711,0.29201101928374656&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132349706850000000)
Illustrations: Potter and Shepard’s animal magic
26 May 2020One New York saleroom that has been notably active in the book market during the Covid restrictions is Doyle (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium). A recent sale included original illustrations for some well-known English children’s books.
![Daisy Fellowes by Cecil Beaton](/media/55337/daisy-fellowes-cecil-beaton-bonhams-2445am-19-05-2020.jpg?rxy=0.45714285714285713,0.26512455516014233&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132343707350000000)
Cecil Beaton sketches turn heads at Bonhams auction
19 May 2020The latest sale of Modern British art held by Bonhams in Knightsbridge was its first live event held ‘behind closed doors’ in the UK. It included 22 pen and ink drawings by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) which formed part of the famous photographer’s ‘The Book of Beauty’ published in 1930.
![Asterix Lot 3 volume 29.jpg](/media/54922/asterix-lot-3-volume-29.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132330668210000000)
Cartoons by late Astérix creator Albert Uderzo to be auctioned for charity
06 May 2020Cartoons by the late Albert Uderzo (1927-2020) will be offered by his family at a charity auction hosted by Artcurial in Paris.
![img_24-1.jpg](/media/54458/img_24-1.jpg?rxy=0.32382892057026474,0.34814814814814815&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132318569840000000)
Old Masters migrate to online
20 April 2020Aguttes’ drawings auction was one of the only sales not to be postponed after the coronavirus alert.
![img_18-2.jpg](/media/53633/img_18-2.jpg?rxy=0.24266666666666667,0.72131147540983609&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132294453990000000)
Drawing on expertise of Fitzwilliam director
23 March 2020Two Italian Mannerist chalk drawings emerged as the top sellers in a section of Old Master drawings and prints at Cirencester saleroom Dominic Winter.
![img_44-1.jpg](/media/53469/img_44-1.jpg?rxy=0.50891089108910892,0.30253164556962026&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132288371260000000)
Previews of drawing sales planned in Paris despite postponement of Salon du Dessin
16 March 2020The Paris drawings fair 'Salon du Dessin' has been postponed until the end of May because of the coronavirus alert, but some specialist auctions that are scheduled to coincide with the event are still going ahead at the time of writing.
![Salon du Dessin in Paris](/media/53284/salon-du-dessin-2434nedi-10-03-20.jpg?rxy=0.55574043261231276,0.81697171381031619&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132283172380000000)
Salon du Dessin postponed as organisers reverse decision to go ahead
13 March 2020The prestigious Paris drawings fair ‘Salon du Dessin’ has been postponed until the end of May as the outbreak of coronavirus in Europe continues to have a major effect on the fairs calendar.
![Salon du Dessin in Paris](/media/53284/salon-du-dessin-2434nedi-10-03-20.jpg?rxy=0.55574043261231276,0.81697171381031619&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132283172380000000)
Organisers say Salon du Dessin will go ahead despite new public events restrictions in France
10 March 2020The Paris drawings fair ‘Salon du Dessin’ is to go ahead as planned later this month, despite the new restrictions on public gatherings in France.
![img_38-1.jpg](/media/52909/img_38-1.jpg?rxy=0.30782029950083195,0.52549019607843139&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132276268820000000)
Only existing drawing of Benin from before 1890 in demand at auction
02 March 2020Several surprises emerged in the tribal art sale held by Cologne auction house Lempertz (24% buyer’s premium) in a recent sale held in Brussels.
![JEAN-AUGUSTE-DOMINIQUE INGRES_Stephen Ongpin.jpg](/media/52239/jean-auguste-dominique-ingres_stephen-ongpin.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132259950400000000)
Ingres portrait among sales at latest Master Drawings New York
13 February 2020A portrait by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) was among the sales at the latest staging of Master Drawings New York.
![img_5-1.jpg](/media/51926/img_5-1.jpg?rxy=0.38103161397670549,0.4467005076142132&mode=crop&width=125&height=125&rnd=132251976810000000)
Mantegna and Tiepolo make the difference in ‘highest NY Old Master total in five years’
03 February 2020Two key consignments, one painting and one drawing, lifted the latest Old Master series in New York to the highest total for five years.
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