Preparatory Work

No such thing as finished.

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, Raphael c1515, Victorian Albert Musuem

When I was 20 I acquired an amazing book about Picasso’s Guernica. What grabbed me then and grabs me now is the power of Picasso’s preparatory drawings. I remember thinking, as I flipped through the pages of this magical book, “these drawings should flank the actual painting, acting as a modern/alternative to the stations of the cross as you head to the altar that is Guernica.” For me the preparatory drawings have a power to them, even after seeing the “finished work”, still do. It’s not just with Guernica but much of the time I prefer artist studies and the work before the work, to the “final work”. Many of the impressionist work have this quality, especially Mary Cassat. Have you seen Raphael’s Cartoons at the Victorian Albert, they were created to ultimately be tapestries, slotted to hang in the Sistine Chapel. You really have to see them in person to understand their power. And of course the next time you vis…