Since 1991, the Drawing and Study course has been a cornerstone of the ICAA’s annual education program. The program follows in the footsteps of architects journeying abroad, and at home, to study and document precedents for the purpose of informing the design of new buildings and places.Each iteration of the program explores the continuity and vitality of the classical tradition in a paradigmatic city or region that has been instrumental to its development. An expanding rotation of destinations offers a multitude of opportunities to build a profound and comprehensive understanding of the roots of American architecture at all scales of design - from the city and its contiguous landscape as a comprehensive work of civic art, to the composition of the architecture and interiors of individual buildings, to the fine grain of detail, materiality, building craft and artisanship.The study of precedents and adaptations to modern circumstances is paramount to the understanding of the classical vocabulary as a living language of architecture and city building. The course aims to enhance the practitioner’s knowledge and skills in creative and informed applications of the classical tradition.
Newport is an exceptional city that encompasses significant architecture from the 17th century to the early 20th century. The city is home to important examples of 17th, 18th, and early 19th century houses, churches, and public buildings. The Newport Drawing Tour will engage the urbanism of the colonial town; significant colonial houses and their details; the shingle houses and their details; and the more formal architecture of the 'Cottages'. The focus of the tour is on intense architectural study and field drawing, and will include focused instruction ranging from detailed measured drawings to quick analytical drawings and comparative drawings of details.Information on the 2023 Christopher H. Browne Newport Drawing Tour is available here.
Widely admired as one of the world’s most romantic and beguiling cities, Venice is also rich in classical architecture. Emerging from the Gothic tradition in the 15th century, architects sought to blend local traditions with the buildings of Roman antiquity to make a highly distinctive form of Venetian Classicism. In the ICAA’s first Drawing Tour to Venice, we will be looking closely at the work of these architects and how their designs were adapted to different building types such as civic buildings, palaces, and religious institutions.Information on the 2023 Christopher H. Browne Venice Drawing Tour is available here.
Information for additional upcoming Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours will be announced soon. Should you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 212-730-9646 ext. 112.
The course is structured around the tradition of observational, analytical and measured drawing in a sketchbook, methods that have been utilized by architects since the Renaissance. Then, as now, the goal is to expand one’s compendium of examples as a resource for reference in future design endeavors.Each program includes an introduction to field drawing techniques that are then deployed throughout the course to study exemplars of classical and traditional design.A typical session begins with an introduction to the subjects of study, extended drawing time, and concludes with shared discoveries and observations.Complementing the core program is additional activity unique to the opportunities available in each location including visits to see newly built work, artisan workshops, and important collections and talks and demonstrations by guest lecturers.
Previous Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours have been held in locations such as:
Sketch of Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève by Leslie-jon Vickory
Instructor Kahlil Hamady with a Christopher H. Browne Paris Drawing Tour participant at Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève
Interior of the Bibliothèque Mazarine
Christopher H. Browne Paris Drawing Tour participants at the Bibliothèque Mazarine
Participants in the Louvre’s French sculpture court
Bibliothèque nationale de France
Student Connor Moran's watercolor rendering of the Petit Trianon
A watercolor study of the Institut de France by participant Elaine Rose
Elevations of Petit Trianon by participant Cindy Black
The Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours honor the generosity, leadership, and legacy of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art’s late Trustee, Mr. Christopher H. Browne. The ICAA is pleased to award four scholarships to drawing tour students or emerging professionals annually in the name of Mr. Browne, a long-time supporter and champion of classicism. Scholarship recipients will receive the moniker “Christopher H. Browne Scholars.”To find out more about the Christopher H. Browne Drawing Tours, email [email protected] or call 212-730-9646 ext. 112.