Colnaghi Foundation Launches The Practice of Drawing, a Digital Gallery Dedicated to Drawing

The Colnaghi Foundation, a British organization founded in 2017, has launched The Practice of Drawing, a digital gallery entirely dedicated to drawings from the Middle Ages to contemporary times, including the Renaissance and the 17th century. The platform features rare and lesser-known works from international collections, accessible online from anywhere. It is designed for both specialists and non-specialists, offering videos, presentations, and glossaries created by experts such as Catherine Whistler of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Other collaborators include Christie’s honorary chairman Noël Annesley, Adriano Aymonino of the University of Buckingham, and Jonathan den Otter, Associate Specialist of Christie’s Old Master Drawings Department. The website provides introductory texts, links to museum websites, and information on publications, materials, and techniques. This initiative is part of a broader trend of museums and institutions using digital platforms to promote art, similar to Google Arts & Culture projects like the Maya civilization collection at the British Museum, the virtual Frida Kahlo retrospective Faces of Frida, Open Heritage for 3D models of archaeological sites, the Met’s API for free image access, and Meet Vermeer in collaboration with the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague.