Far eastern sketch book recording the artist’s response to the urban and rural landscapes of Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. Attwell paints Penang alongside vignettes of a Sikh driver and orchids, monkeys in Singapore, a Shengshui New Territories street scene, house and shrine in Moji, Old Street in Kyoto, Shrine in Nagoya (words for railway station, hotels etc written in Chinese script), sunset in Nara, ordering kimonos in Kishuru, Crane Park in Akan, Silang on the Tagatay Ridge, River Steps Changi, ruins of the Intramural City, Manila, Winnowing rice in Taiwan, drying peanuts outside a shrine, duck feathers in a side street in Kaohsiung, Shungshui New Territory and Flower St in Hong Kong. There are vignettes of the people and characters Attwell met along the way which pop with energy, feeling and vibrancy. The sketch book is crammed with full page colour sketches and smaller vignettes of daily life and people captured throughout the artist’s travels in Far East locations.
Ivy Theresa Attwell (1898-1985) was an international artist, traveller, and chronicler of the 20th century. She was the great-niece of the children’s author Mabel Lucie Attwell, and a member of Torquay Library and Art Committee. Attwell travelled on various cargo shipping routes around the world producing keenly observed, vibrant sketches which beautifully observed local customs, traditions, people and nature.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Soft back landscape sketchbook measuring approx. 5” x 8” decorated in Chinese letter print, probably 1970s. Contains c30 pp. full page colour sketches alongside c18 pp. leaves full of vignettes and sketches capturing the people and characters along the way. A couple of leaves detached from stubs. Watercolour and pen. In very good condition.
