Fine lines

Drawings are often valued as an artist’s first thoughts, the most direct and intimate expression of his or her response to a subject.

Drawings are often valued as an artist’s first thoughts, the most direct and intimate expression of his or her response to a subject. Looking at a drawing, you feel you can see the artist’s mind at work — in a much more spontaneous way than in a painting made from preparatory studies. Yet in the rather ridiculous established hierarchy of art, drawings are ranked much lower than paintings, perhaps because they are generally considered to be working tools, less durable than oil on canvas, and frequently not preserved with the same care as ‘finished’ pictures.

Our age, which is fascinated by process, gives more attention to drawings but still does not esteem them as highly as it might. As a result, there are plenty of opportunities for collectors, if top-quality paintings are beyond their reach.