Seated nude

Drawing was an essential part of Vaughan's creative process. While working at the Central School of Art (1948-58), he made life-drawings, such as the present work, to assist in his teaching process. There were several exhibitions of his drawings during the 1960s: he exhibited some at the Biennale in Sao Paolo in 1963 and three further drawing exhibitions took place between 1967 and 1969 in London and Manchester. While teaching at the Slade (1959 onwards), Vaughan continued to make life-drawings with his students. Noel Barber noted that Vaughan "draws on the spot as an aid to concentrated observation. Even when he visits the National Gallery to look at an old master he takes a small sketch-book out of his pocket and makes diagrammatic memoranda. 'How long can one look at a painting,' he asks, 'without one's attention wandering to paintings nearby?' And he himself answers, 'About twenty seconds.' Drawing memos enables one to look longer and more intensely. Likewise he paints nudes from memorised observation. Once or twice a month a model poses in his neat working-room. The model's appearance enters as it were the artist's consciousness in the form of drawings." (N, Barber, Conversations with Painters, London, 1964).

We are very grateful to Gerard Hastings for his assistance in cataloguing the present lot and lots 51-52. His book, Keith Vaughan: The Photographs, was published by Pagham Press in June.