Large Nude Study By William ‘Bill’ Moorman; To Laurie & Kathy Lee 1977

The sparse and quietly expressive standing nude study depicting a female figure shown from behind, rendered in a mixture of monotype and charcoal on a large sheet of wove paper, the artist allowing broad tonal sweeps to sit alongside sharply linear passages in the legs and lower back, the head is handled with the soft, muffled tonality characteristic of monotype pulling, while the legs and torso carry more incisive, hand-worked marks; the whole signed indistinctly at lower right “W. Moorman. 1977” and inscribed beneath in pencil “To Laurie & Kathy with love Bill” and surviving from the fourth quarter of the twentieth century.

The sheet is presented in a later plain glazed black frame and there is time-toning and foxing visible throughout the sheet, more pronounced in the lower register, with a horizontal tide mark suggesting historical moisture exposure. There is scattered foxing to the upper half, a few small abrasions, and some specking from the original print process. The image remains strong, the surface stable, and the inscription entirely legible.

William “Bill” Moorman was an English draughtsman associated with artistic and literary circles in Gloucestershire during the mid-20th century; his work spans charcoal, ink, and monotype, often with a distinctly sculptural approach to the human form. This example carries resonance for its place in the orbit of the celebrated writer and poet Laurie Lee (1914–1997); author of Cider with Rosie and long-time resident of Slad, together with his wife Kathy, who were known to receive personal works from neighbouring and visiting artists. The warm dedication suggests a close personal connection and places the drawing firmly within the private creative world that surrounded the Lees in the 1970s.

A large and atmospheric nude study whose scale, inscription, and gently time-worn surface all contribute to its quiet presence making it an evocative piece of studio work by Bill Moorman, enriched by its intimate link to Laurie and Kathy Lee.