This sketchbook dates from William Crozier's time spent in Europe in 1923 and 1924, and was in the possession of his friend, the painter William Gillies. It was donated to the RSA in 1973 as part of the W G Gillies Bequest.
Upon graduating from Edinburgh College of Art and after being awarded the RSA Carnegie Travelling Scholarship, Crozier studied alongside Gillies in the studio of early French cubist Andre Lhote. Crozier used geometric analysis of shapes in his depictions of buildings, taking interest in Tuscan hill towns. In A Mediterannean hill town on page 36, strong charcoal outlines define angular shapes of the architecture. Fascinated by the abstract forms found in Italian landscapes, with bright sunlight and deep shadow highlighting the contours of the land, this sketchbook informed notable works such as Crozier's Italian Village, purchased in 2023 for the RSA collections. Notes taken on pages 3, 12, 19, and 44 offer useful insight, remarking on colours and features of the landscape.
Some of the sketches are upside down to stay true to the original object.
