Artwork
The Movies
The Movies is a drawing by Carol Annand. It dates from 1963 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Movies is a 1963 drawing by British artist Carol Annand, now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection. Executed in ink on paper, the work presents a compact, sketch‑like composition that combines portraiture with textual elements, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between image and language.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a woman wearing a headscarf, rendered with a calm expression. Flanking her are two smaller heads—one solemn, the other smiling—accompanied by phrases such as “Warning! Don’t go alone” and “The Group of Fear.” The juxtaposition of faces and warning‑like text suggests a commentary on social anxiety and collective unease.
Technique & Style
Annand employs loose, gestural lines and minimal shading to suggest facial features rather than define them precisely. The drawing’s informal, almost cartoonish quality is balanced by the presence of handwritten text, creating a hybrid of visual note and doodle that emphasizes immediacy and spontaneity over polished finish.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1960s, The Movies reflects Annand’s experimental period when she explored drawing as a medium for quick observation and conceptual play. The work entered the Victoria and Albert Museum’s holdings through acquisition in the late 20th century, where it remains displayed as part of the museum’s modern drawing collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carol Annand made ink drawings of mid-century American life. In *The Movies* (1963) she sketched a marquee and ticket booth outside a neighborhood cinema, crisp lines and soft shading that feel like a snapshot frozen in…
