ART REVIEW : Huntington Assembles Drawings of Historic British Figures

The Huntington Art Gallery’s current exhibition, “British Portrait Drawings of Notables,” takes as its central theme the famous historic individuals in European literature, the arts and politics. It offers a modest but often delightful look at writers and poets such as Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and such memorable figures as politician William Gladstone and adventurer Captain Blood.

Culled by curator Shelley M. Bennett from the Huntington’s collection of more than 13,000 drawings and watercolors, the exhibit features some of the most famous countenances in European history, from Napoleon to Johann Sebastian Bach.

Any exhibit of historical portraiture must unfortunately deal with a contemporary ignorance of history. Thankfully, this show’s descriptive labels are more than just title and artist. They are mercifully brief but give a touch of history, a hint of social implication and occasionally even a whiff of gossip. This kind of concise information adds immeasurably to an appreciation of images such as illustrator James Smetham’s gaunt and intense pencil self-portrait and comic artist Thomas Rowlandson’s stinging watercolor of the theatrics of actress Sarah Siddons.

The show isn’t large, but the history it covers gets further clarification by being broken into three small rooms, which feature heads of state, the arts and finally notables in politics, the military and the church. Interestingly enough, the distinction of social position also shows some of the artistic conventions that artists used to express the personality of their subject. Poets and artists like Lord Byron appear to glow with an inner fire.

Creativity frequently lights their the faces with near-mystic inspiration as they gaze off into infinity with romantic melancholy. But heads of state such as King George IV are ripe for lampooning and wily politicians such as William Gladstone are engagingly exaggerated into a kind of physical comedy of political blunders.

Explanations and commentary aside, the seduction in these portraits lies in the fact that these were memorable individuals. After being duly impressed by their credentials and the artistic trappings of their positions, we want to feel we can know what they were like as people. We try to read their faces, looking deeply into their eyes for humor or cruelty. We see in the scholar Johann Bodmer’s hawklike profile a keen intellect and summon up William Wordsworth’s mellowness from his relaxed and open gaze. Portraits provide a way to search for character and personality. It’s a rewarding and timeless venture that makes history seem more about people than events.

Yet for all the glamour of famous personalities, this exhibit is remarkably restrained, tucked away in an upstairs corner of the Huntington mansion like a bright, shy child. The images are small and sometimes so pale the viewer must look closely to catch the nuances in color and line. But the subtle charms of the doe-eyed illustrator Kate Greenaway and the impishness of artist John Linnell are worth looking for.

The exhibition will be on view until June 25 in the Changing Exhibitions Rooms. The Huntington is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4:30 p.m. and on Sundays by reservation.