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Spanish Traveller 1952/53?

Artist: McClure, David, RSA · 1926-1998

Spanish Traveller 1952/53?

During his studies at Edinburgh College of Art, McClure undertook a period of travel to Spain in 1952, continuing into 1953. The original quota of…

During his studies at Edinburgh College of Art, McClure undertook a period of travel to Spain in 1952, continuing into 1953.

The original quota of leaves is not given but only thirty-five remain intact. There is extensive staining to the right side above centre and bottom edge left of centre of the leaves

The collation is as follows;
front cover (recto) card covered in marbled paper with later handwritten self adhesive label
front cover (verso) at top in blue ink the artist's name and Edinburgh address, inverted at base reference to a book in brown ink
leaf 1 (recto) blank
leaf 1 (verso) blank
leaf 2 (recto) landscape format sketch in blue and brown ink with slight colour wash in sky and pastels on select areas, of pantiles roofs, balconies a weathervane and spire with colour notes inscribed (tr) 'Toledo Oct 52' [vide leaf 18(r) for the same building]
leaf 2 (verso) blank
leaf 3 (recto) blank with single short diagonal pen stroke
leaf 3 (verso) blank with heavy off-set from l4(r)
leaf 4 (recto) portrait format sketch in pencil of an ornately vaulted ceiling with large hanging lamp, with colour notes, inscribed (bl) H.de San Juan Bautista/ Toledo Oct 52 [also known as the Hospital de Tavera]
leaf 4 (verso) portrait format sketch [inverted] in blue ink of ornate wrought iron pulpit (vide leaf 5(r)) with colour notes, inscribed (tr) Museo San Vicento/ Toledo 1952
leaf 5 (recto) portrait format sketch in blue ink of an interior with an ornate wrought iron 'pulpit' (vide leaf 4(v)) with colour notes
leaf 5 (verso) blank
leaf 6 (recto) landscape format sketch in blue and black ink of a painted sculpture of a horseman trampling on decapitated heads with colour notes, inscriber (tr) Painted Sculpture./ Museo San Vincento, Toledo
leaf 6 (verso) blank
stub 6a blank
leaf 7 (recto) landscape format very slight sketch in pencil of sloping roofs
leaf 7 (verso) landscape format sketches [x2 of] in blue ink of wrought iron balconies with colour notes [vide leaf 8(r) for the building these studies are based on]
leaf 8 (recto) landscape format sketch in pencil and black ink and tempera an unidentified street scene of a row of pantiled houses with colour notes, inscribed (tl of c) Illescas Oct 52
leaf 8 (verso) blank
leaf 9 (recto) portrait format sketch in blue ink of a carved panel of the Madonna and Child on a building frontage with colour notes, inscribed Illesca (tl)
leaf 9 (verso) blank [some paint marks]
leaf 10 (recto) landscape format tonal sketch in pencil of the side view of a horse in blinkers harnessed to a covered four wheeled stagecoach with colour notes with a smaller secondary sketch of same, ink splashes and oil stains, inscribed (bl) Toledo '52
leaf 10 (verso) blank
leaf 11 (recto) portrait format tonal sketch in pencil of the rear three-quarter view of a harnessed and blinkered horse, inscribed (br of c) Toledo '52
leaf 11 (verso) blank but with five lines of colour notes for image on leaf 12(r)
leaf 12 (recto) portrait format sketch in blue ink of an ornate wrought iron interior gate [possibly inside the Museo San Vincento]
leaf 12 (verso) blank
leaf 13 (recto) very slight portrait format sketch in pencil of a winged angel holding a shield in front of their chest of a street scene with a church with colour notes
leaf 13 (verso) blank
leaf 14 (recto) portrait format tonal sketch in pencil of the head and torso of Christ, wearing the Crown of Thorns and with his hands bound with rope with colour notes [based on a painting or sculpture possibly in the Museo San Vincento]
leaf 14 (verso) blank
leaf 15 (recto) portrait format sketch in pencil of the same piece of sculpture as in leaf 6(r) but front on, with colour notes
leaf 15 (verso) blank
leaf 16 (recto) landscape format sketch in pencil of buildings with colour notes, inscribed in ink (br) Toledo
leaf 16 (verso) blank
leaf 17 (recto) [inverted] landscape tonal sketch in pencil of a donkey carrying two woven panniers beside a metal structure with colour notes
leaf 17 (verso) blank
leaf 18 (recto) [inverted] landscape tonal sketch in pencil of a church seen across pantiled roofs with colour notes, inscribed (br) Toledo Nov 52 [vide leaf 2(r) for the same building]
leaf 18 (verso) blank
leaf 19 (recto) slight and unidentifiable pencil marks
leaf 19 (verso) blank
stub 19a blank [irregular edge]
leaf 20 (recto) portrait format tonal sketch in pencil of a wall decoration of the side view of a supplicating angel with colour notes [from a fresco in the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz, Toledo]
leaf 20 (verso) blank
leaf 21 (recto) portrait format sketch in pencil of a wall decoration of the head and upraised right arm of a bearded man with a halo [from a fresco in the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz, Toledo]
leaf 21 (verso) blank with eleven lines of colour notes for sketch on leaf 22(r)
leaf 22 (recto) portrait format tonal sketch in pencil of a clean shaven man with a bald top of head wearing ecclesiastical robes and clutching a bulbous club over his right shoulder in both hands, inscribed 9(r) Fresco in/ Cristo de la Luz/ Toledo
leaf 22 (verso) blank
leaf 23 (recto) inverted landscape format sketch in pencil of a landscape of fields with rows of vines or olive trees , various farm buildings with colour notes
leaf 23 (verso) blank
leaf 24 (recto) blank [slight traces of pencil lines]
leaf 24 (verso) blank
leaf 25 (recto) [inverted] landscape format sketch in pencil of a cargo ship with a single funnel in dock beside a warehouse from the right hand top floor of which a flexible metal pipe is connected to the prow deck, a domed cupola of an ornate church behind with colour notes, inscribed (br) Sevilla
leaf 25 (verso) blank
leaf 26 (recto) [inverted] landscape format sketch in pencil of a cargo ship with a single funnel in dock with buildings beyond, with colour notes, inscribed (br) Sevilla [loosely inserted and numbered 26a is a photocopy of this page]
leaf 26 (verso) blank
leaf 27 (recto) [inverted] landscape format townscape sketch in pencil looking across a river towards domestic buildings with pantiled roofs and a domed tower at centre back, with colour notes, inscribed (br) Sevilla
leaf 27 (verso) [inverted] portrait tonal sketch in pencil of a hatted woman holding her left hand to her face and a repeat image
stub 27a blank
leaf 28 (recto) blank
leaf 28 (verso) blank
leaf 29 (recto) [inverted] landscape sketch in pencil of an industrial building with FABRICAD{....] in large letters on gable, a flexible metal pipe emerging from a first floor gantry at left, metal girder telegraph pole central foreground with colour notes [this appears to be another view of the building shown in leaf 25(r)]
leaf 29 (verso) various measurements in inches handwritten in pencil
leaf 30 (recto) [inverted] landscape format sketch in pencil of a single funnelled ship in foreground looking across river to row of buildings on far shore with colour notes [heavily spattered with white oil paint]
leaf 30 (verso) [inverted] landscape sketch es in pencil of at left a standing man in jacket and tie and at right a young man seated at a round table, his chin in his right hand
leaf 31 (recto) [inverted] landscape sketch of a row of pantiled buildings with balconies and shutters viewed across a river with a prominent tower to left with colour notes
leaf 31 (verso) blank
leaf 32 (recto) tonal landscape sketch in pencil of old pantiled sheds with a wooden boat on stocks, other buildings and distant hillside with trees beyond with colour notes
leaf 32 (verso) [inverted] slight framed sketch in pencil of a hatted man wearing checked trousers
leaf 33 (recto) blank
leaf 33 (verso) blank
leaf 34 (recto) [inverted] landscape format tonal sketch in pencil of a wooden fishing boat with single mast, the sail furled, two oars on deck, a large eye painte4d on its prow, registration number Ma4-1452 with pencil notes the same still life group as on leaf 33(r)
leaf 34 (verso) framed tonal landscape format sketch in pencil of a man standing between two horses
leaf 35 (recto) [inverted] landscape format sketch in pencil of boats on a shore with pencil inscription at upper right '3,900,000'
leaf 35 (verso) landscape format framed tonal sketch in pencil of a still life group of a tulip-shaped vase and a shallow stemmed fruit bowl with apples and a banana
leaf 36 (recto) landscape format sketch of a detail of the still life group on leaf 33(r) with a circular pot and a banana[?]
[at least 11 iregular stubs]
inner rear cover (recto) portrait format pencil sketch of a single masted fishing boat and building, overwritten in blue ink with various arrival and departure times for 2nd class travel to various locations in Spain, and other random notes in pen and pencil

RSA Archives holds a small group of original correspondence relating to McClure's Florentine trip.

The manufacturer details of this sketchbook are presumed to have existed on the front cover which is no longer present. It may have been a British made sketchbook which McClure took with him on his travels, or more likely an Italian made one purchased once in Italy.

© The Royal Scottish Academy