Group portrait of the Sketching Society ('The Critical Moment')

The Sketching Society was just one of several artist groups in the nineteenth century but was unique for its longevity. The Society and other groups, like the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, offered artists an opportunity to informally network, learn, and improve their work.

Founded by Francis Stevens, Alfred Edward Chalon and John James Chalon in 1808, the Sketching Society was active until 1851. Membership was limited to eight, with penalties for missing meetings. The group gathered each Friday at one of the members’ homes, where the evening’s host would pick a subject for the members to sketch.

The subjects chosen by the Society were usually scenes from history or literature, such as the Shakespearean drawings on display here. The artists would work on their designs until dinner. Afterwards, they would review the drawings and share their critiques. The works then became the property of the evening’s host ‘who by an ancient law, was not allowed to sell, or otherwise dispose of them during his life, without the consent of the Society.’ Even the queen, having made a request to purchase some of their work, was denied and instead offered the drawings as a gift.

This photographic print is of a watercolour John Partridge (1789-1872) made of the group at one of their Friday night meetings and gives a sense of the evening's proceedings. Here, the artists have gathered after supper to critique a work produced by one of the members. The print dates from the late 1830s and includes the signatures of the current members.