This sketchbook dates from 1924, when Gillies toured Italy with William Crozier and William Geissler. It shows some of the cubist massing approaches to form and drawing he would have learned in Andre Lhote's studio in France, which he attended as part of a travelling scholarship the previous year.
The sketchbook provides insight into Gillies' thought processes whilst sketching. Page 14 and 27 include notes detailing the colours, and key features of the images captured, whilst the sketch on page 30 is accompanied by directions to return to the spot the image was sketched from. On page 23 is a study for the (unfinished) painting From the Pitti, Florence
These notes provide an insight into the artist’s mind, showing how he captured a view through sketching and how he created a memory of locations.
