Description

Within their rich collections spanning six centuries of history, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) conserve a large number of sketches that bear witness to the creative process of artists of all periods. The catalogue Creative Drive. Sketches in the collections of the RMFAB explores different forms of sketch, whether drawn, modelled or painted, focusing on a figure, a detail or an entire composition. As drafts for paintings, murals, tapestries and engravings, sketches deploy a wide range of strategies through drawing, painting and sculpture in an attempt to convey thought in images.

This book offers an unprecedented insight into the preparatory work for works of art, through the fundamental stages that link the initial idea to the finished work, or the work deemed as such by the artist. From the underlying drawings of the Flemish primitives to the 3D models of modern sculptors, from the virtuoso painted sketches of Rubens and Van Dyck to the sketchbooks of Fernand Khnopff, this book brings together over 200 works of art (and 300 illustrations) revealing the many facets of sketching.

The book accompanies the exhibition "Drafts. From Rubens to Khnopff", organised by the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, from 11 October 2024 to 16 February 2025.