FEBRUARY - Lines of Thought

The exhibition Lines of Thought has been at the Brynmor Jones Library at Hull University between 3rd January and 28th February 2017.  It was previously at Poole in Dorset at the end of last year and will go on to Belfast after leaving us.  Being one of only three venues to host this prestigious exhibition, I felt that as the venue is literally 10 minutes walk from our house, we really should make the effort to go along.  I am very pleased that we did.

I'd mentioned it to Patrick's sister Coral and as they were coming to our house to pick up some beers from us, she and William decided to go along too.  After a nice lunch of homemade carrot and coriander soup (thanks Patrick!) and a sandwich, off we all tootled through the wind and rain.

The Brynmor Jones Library, named after the chap who initiated research into LCD technology in the 1930s, is where poet Philip Larkin spent 30 years as Librarian.  In 2015 it underwent a £28million refurbishment, part of which was the new gallery and exhibition space to house the University's impressive Art collection, which was previously a bit tucked away in another building.  The gallery  was easy to spot with the queue outside it and the two blue and pink clad volunteers handing out tickets to punters.

Once inside we set about viewing the drawings in the exhibition space on one side of the gallery.  This ranged from drawings by 15th Century masters such as Da Vinci right up to current artists.   I'm not sufficiently 'arty' to pretend to understand it all but basically it was all about how drawing is really just thinking in pictures. It was arranged by types of thinking rather than by date and the five sections were: The Likeness of a Thought, Brainstorming, Enquiry and Experiment, Insight and Association and Development and Decisions.  Have to say that angle went over my head really and I just enjoyed seeing the pictures.  I'm always a bit blown away by the thought that I am looking at something that someone drew 500 hundred years ago!

I did take some photos myself but I'm not the world's greatest photographer so I've borrowed some pictures from the British Museum website instead.


Studies for Adam & Eve by Aldrecht Durer, 1504.  This really caught my eye because I like the thought of old Aldrecht back in 1504 doodling away trying to find the right look for Adam's arm


Studies of a turbaned African man by Jacques De Gheyn II c.1603-1629.  This one really impressed me for it's detail.  The folds of the clothes and turbans, the features, ears and skin.  I spent a good while looking at this and wishing I could draw.


Asian Elephant by Rembrandt c.1637.  I just loved this one.  I'd have this on my wall as it is. I've no idea if Rembrandt ever converted this to a painting but if you click here, it does give quite a lot of information about this particular elephant, called Hansken who arrived in Holland in 1633 as a gift to the Prince of Orange.

The other half of the gallery houses the University's own Art collection with paintings by the 'Bloomsbury set', sculptures by Jacob Epstein as well as many others.


I rather liked this one.  Madrid Crowd 1931 by Sylvia Gosse


I was rather proud that I recognised this was a crab!  Maquette for a Crab by Bernard Meadows


Coral and I liked this one because she looks as if she is about to say to some hapless guy "Just you effing dare!"  Portrait of Mrs Randolph Schwabe 1917 by Augustus John

So a really enjoyable afternoon viewing rare art that we wouldn't normally get the opportunity to see.  Might not be everyone's idea of fun but I loved it.