Elizabeth Blackadder is widely recognised as one of Scotland’s most significant twentieth century artists. Awarded the Carnegie Travelling Scholarship and an Andrew Grant Postgraduate Scholarship, Blackadder’s travels founded a passion that is reflected in her art, the attention to detail she applied to her surroundings bringing her paintings to life. Working mostly in oils and watercolours, Blackadder was also a prolific printmaker. The inspiration she took from different mediums can be seen throughout the sketchbooks from this bequest.
This sketchbook contains a series of drawings from Blackadder’s travels around Rome in November of 1998, the first few pages include a diary of her experiences. In simple pencil sketches, Blackadder captured the monumental architecture of Rome, taking inspiration from sites including the Palazzo Del Vittoriano, the Roman Forum, and the Palatine Hill (pages 2-20). The latter half of the sketchbook contains more familiar domestic scenes, including a variety of studies of Blackadder’s beloved cats who often feature in her work.
