“What is Drawing?” takes us on journey through the philosophical and material boundaries of the tradition.

Originally presented to the Intensive Drawing students at FAA, Richards begins by introducing the concept of “disegno” which is best translated to “drawing” from the Italian, although a more apt translation would include a sense of design or arrangement as well as the making of a mark. Exploring works from artists such Leonardo da Vinci, Jusepe de Ribera, Claude Lorrain and Peter Paul Rubens, in mediums ranging from silverpoint to watercolors and paints, Richards invites us to expand our sense of what drawing is.

If you would like to further research the works from the lecture we have selected details on artists and artworks below, in the order presented in the lecture!