Drawing as Knowledge: Practice, Theory and History
inspired by the life & work of D. Petherbridge
About this Event
A Collaboration Between The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
and The Warburg Institute, London
This conference has been organised to coincide with a display at The Paul Mellon Centre (PMC) “Just on the Edge”: Exploring the Deanna Petherbridge Archive (29 July – 29 October 2026). Featuring materials from Petherbridge’s archive at the PMC, together with artworks from private collections, a key theme of the display is Petherbridge’s lifelong commitment to the medium of drawing as an active process of knowledge acquisition and formation.
Delegates will be given the opportunity to view the display and hear from the curator at PMC on the evening of Wednesday 15 September. This will be followed by two days of papers and discussion in the Warburg Institute’s Lecture Theatre.
One panel will explore drawing within the practice of a range of British artists, including its function, meaning and relationship with other media. Another will turn to curators, the role of drawing in their collaborations and the processes of recording and understanding collections.
A number of papers grouped around the theme of “intersections” will explore the interconnectedness of artistic drawing practice with other disciplines, such as mapping and writing. Other talks will be situated between art history and medical humanities, looking at the role of drawing in navigating trauma, mental illness and bereavement.
Two of the panels will range across anatomy, natural history and empire, exploring drawing as a means of knowing, conceptualising and mastering the world. Encompassing peoples, lands, flora and fauna, a key focus will be drawing as a technology of both colonial governance and resistance.
The full detailed programme will be made available shortly.
The conference is being organised by Alixe Bovey (the Courtauld), Kate Retford (the Paul Mellon Centre) and Flora Dennis (the Warburg Institute).
Ticket Information
Tickets are free, but advance registration is required.
Tickets are limited, and you will need to register separately for each day you wish to attend (15, 16 and/or 17 September).
You can also join the conference online via Zoom. Please select the ‘Zoom Ticket’ option on Eventbrite to receive the link. The same Zoom link will be used for both conference days, 16 and 17 September.
Accessibility at a Glance at The Warburg Institute
✔ A ramp at the right-hand side of the main doors gives access into the building
✔Accessible toilets on the ground floor Kythera Gallery
✔ The lecture room has moveable chairs rather than fixed seating. This means chairs can be rearranged or removed to create space for wheelchair users. Wheelchair spaces are not limited to one area.
✔ Accessible for large power wheelchairs
✔ Livestreamed
✔ Talks will be recorded and published online after event.
✔ Zoom closed captions available for online delegates.
✔ Hearing loop available (please contact [email protected])
✔ Assistance Dogs for guidance are welcome.
✔ There is a designated disabled parking space immediately outside the Institute. Please email us at [email protected] or phone on 020 7862 8949 to organise parking in advance.
✖ BSL
For further information about the accessibility at The Warburg, please visit their website https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/library-collections/library/using-library/accessibility
If you have any questions about access or event details, please email [email protected]
Image caption: Deanna Petherbridge’s drawing In the Shadow of the Mandra: Terraces, Sikinos, c 1968. Courtesy of the Artistic Estate of Deanna Petherbridge
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
