Published to accompany the first substantial exhibition on the tradition of Spanish drawings to take place in London, this catalogue captures the importance of this rapidly developing field of study. It represents highlights from the Courtauld Gallery's collection of Spanish drawings, one of the most important in Britain. Comprising some 120 works, the collection ranges from the 16th to the 20th centuries and features examples by many of Spain's greatest artists, including Ribera, Murillo, Goya and Picasso. Also of great interest are drawings of striking quality by lesser known artists whose work is only now coming to be understood.
 
The selection includes a large number of works which were once owned by Sir William Stirling Maxwell (1818–1878), the celebrated hispanist, whose work on Spanish art provided the foundations for much later scholarship. Many of the works have never previously been published or exhibited and they are presented here in the light of important new research. This scholarly publication represents an important contribution to this exciting field of study in which significant discoveries are still regularly made.