Drawing as Gesture

Early modern art theory, in order to defend the nobility of painting, sculpture, and architecture above craftsmanship, conceptualized drawing as the graphic expression of an idea conceived in the mind. Only Leonardo da Vinci claimed instead that the invention of a figure or a composition could come out of the explorative gesture of the hand drawing freely, without preconceived thoughts. Several rough sketches, scribbles, and doodles, found in the margins of elaborated drawings, as well as on the backs of paintings, on the sinopie under the frescoes or on the walls of the studios, reveal how experimental, playful, regressive graphic gestures indeed surrounded artistic creation. Addressing the tension between theory and practice, the seminar will explore the multifaceted aspects of drawing as gesture.