Sketching and Painting

The Sketching and Painting group has frequented several of Zürich's excellent art museums during the winter months, but in January we discovered a great new location in the university's archaeological collection in Rämistrasse. This imposing old building, located next to the university and the ETH, proved to be a gem for eager artists and budding artists to get up close to famous antique sculptures. The fact that many of the statues were in fact reproductions was not a disadvantage as we were able to get close to the life-size figures from Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquity with setting off any alarm bells.

Chairlady and art teacher Hui-Ling had learnt of the lesser known collection in Zürich's impressive list of museums from her daughter, and had found the venue to be particularly suitable for the group. Ten people shared her enthusiasm on a particularly nasty Thursday afternoon and had defied the sleet, snow, ice and wind to penetrate the august portals. The building houses a wonderful collection of antique ceramics on the ground floor, but upstairs and in the basement were crammed many examples of ancient figures such as the Laocoon, Apollo, Roman soldiers, senators, the Three Graces and other classical figures. The basement room was our choice of workspace on this occasion, as there were students working in the upper halls. We also found the folding chairs more comfortable than the three-legged stools we usually use.

Everyone chose a figure that appealed to them and set to work with their sketchpad and pencil. Silence pervaded the room. There were some experienced artists among the group, one new member and several older group members who wanted to improve their technique. Different characters appealed to different people, some preferring the female anatomy while others enjoyed the challenge of nude male figures. The Greek gods had perfect features while the Romans were more realistic with their hair and wrinkles. Some people concentrated on just one sketch while others tried out several subjects and angles.

After a successful session of sketching we adjourned to a nearby student bar for coffee and pastries and a chance to chat. Hui-Ling and Shirley plan to revisit the archaeological collection on March 25, as there is great scope for further studies. For more information on the collection, see this link: www.archinst.uzh.ch