Artists inspiring artists

You might not think the National Gallery would want people to copy its works of art. But we have encouraged copyists to be inspired by our collection since the Gallery opened in 1824. So, who were the original art copyists at the National Gallery? And what did they do?

Inspiration for all

From students to professional artists, anyone can be a copyist. It's a great way to connect with works of art. Throughout the 19th century, the popularity of art copying surged. In 1884 alone, 26,435 copyists visited the National Gallery.

Anyone who simply wanted to sketch in a notepad was allowed to do so at any time, while artists using easels and paint had to attend the Gallery on special days. These were referred to by various names, including Copyist Days, Private Days and Student Days. This admitted copyists two days a week when the Gallery was closed to the public.

To get an admission ticket, copyists were asked to submit a work of art with their written application to the Gallery Keeper. If you were accepted, you had a three-month pass, before the next group of copyists came in.

A young prodigy

At 11 years old, Howard Clanford was the youngest person to be accepted to copy paintings at the National Gallery. Throughout the 1960s, Clanford copied numerous pictures, including Philips Wouwerman’s Calvary making a Sortie from a Fort on a Hill.
Clanford's painting was so good that it was reported about in ‘The Yorkshire Post’. Copies, including Clandford’s, were stamped to ensure they weren’t passed off as the real works. There were also other rules to avoid confusion, such as the copies having to be a slightly different size to the original.

A public call to copy

Copyists soon became a part of the National Gallery's culture. During the Second World War, the Gallery had to close its doors for the safety of the collection. When it reopened after the war, many people were excited to see the Copyist Days return. But, due to bomb damage, there was limited space to host them.

Director Philip Hendy argued it was 'not practical to set up easels' in crowded conditions. This disappointed many people, highlighting the importance of these days to the public. Listening to the concern, the National Gallery soon reintroduced set copying times.