ZOE DORELLI / ARTIST

💥Delighted to be part of this wonderful exhibition at the @bellhousedulwich in Dulwich.. curated by my brilliant friend and long term ally @mariannelwalker … one of the best artist and curators I know! It’s a beautiful show and lovely place to visit, right next to @dulwichgallery Swipe till the end for details.. #dulwichfestival #dulwichartgallery #bellhousedulwich #contemporanyart #drawing

💥My new website now online! 💥 Spent the last few months developing my new site, finally got it up this week, shows lots of new work, paintings and drawings..check it out! (Also let me know if you find any glitches) #newwebsite

💥’Stone Ghosts - Queen Victoria’ Egg Tempera and pencil on paper - 21 x 30cms I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Queen Victoria and the Victorians in general, I realise it’s a very unfashionable thing to say these days.. in fact it always was as I was growing up… but they were responsible for so many beautiful artworks and buildings that I’ve lived with and admired over the years, living in London.. they had such a grand vision, with so many influences.. I think some aspects are worth looking at again… I say this fully aware of their dark side! Victoria herself seemed like a such a self possessed and interesting woman.. all that loss and grief.. #queenvictoria #victorians #drawing

💥’Stone Ghosts - Queen Eleanor of Castile’ Lightfast Pencil on Paper - 21 x 30cms - DM for price This image came out quite ghostly… sometimes it feels like the sculpture is talking to you whilst you draw, this one certainly was.. she didn’t like that her face had been damaged.. wanted me to try and ignore it and make her look pretty again… I tried my best… There seem to be a few statues in the V&A from ancient crosses that were built to commemorate various kings and queens in towns and cities across the country. They are so old, I imagine all the changes they must’ve seen over the centuries….many are still standing, almost invisible. QUEEN ELEANOR OF CASTILE About 1291 Alexander of Abingdon (active about 1300) Queen Eleanor, wife of Edward I, died at Harby near Lincoln in 1290. Her body was ceremoniously transported across England in solemn procession for burial in Westminster Abbey. At each place that her body rested a cross was erected to her memory. This figure formed part of the cross in Waltham, Hertfordshire. #englishcross #statues #drawing

💥Stone Ghosts - ‘Thetis and Achilles’ - pencil on paper - 21 x 30cms / 12” x 8” DM for price. From the Thomas Banks sculpture ‘Thetis Dipping Achilles in the River Styx’ (1790) - The story goes that Thetis, a Sea nymph, dipped her newborn son, Achilles, into the sacred waters of the River Styx in the belief that he would be forever protected. Unfortunately the river did not touch where she held him… he was finally killed by an arrow to his heel… #achilles #achillesheel #greekmythology #drawing #contemporaryart

💥 ‘Stone Ghosts’ series continues with ‘ The Sleep of Sorrow and the Dream of Joy’ - pencil on paper - 21x 30cms (A4) / 12”x 8” - DM for price This is drawn from a wonderfully titled sculpture ‘The Sleep of Sorrow and the Dream of Joy (An Allegory of the Italian Risorgimento)’ by the Italian sculptor Raffaelle Monti and exhibited in London in 1862. Was a tricky one to draw as the light levels were quite low and I had to sit fairly close… but I loved the way he sculpted the light and delicate veil over her head, I think that was a trade mark of his sculptures and busts, works so well. #raffaellemonti #sculpture #v&a #drawing #stoneghosts

💥Happy Holidays!💥 A Christmasy one for the holidays- ‘Stone Ghosts series’ - ‘ The Virgin with the Laughing Child’ - pencil and egg tempera on paper - 21 x 30cms (A4) / 12” x 8” - DM for price. This beautiful little sculpture in the V&A’s Medieval and Renaissance room (64a) always makes me smile when I see it… had to draw it for Christmas… came out well enough to use for my ‘offcuts’ Christmas cards (the perks of being a printmaker!) .. always surprised how different papers create such different colour results.. Merry Christmas everyone! #drawing #v&a #virginandchild #laughingchild #christmassculpture #christmas #sculpture #classicaldrawing #pencildrawing

💥New Series - ‘Stone Ghosts’💥’Beatrice’ - pencil on paper - 21 x 30cm (A4) / 12” x 8” - DM for price Another drawing from the V&A collection, of a beautiful sculpture of Dante’s Beatrice by the Pre-Raphaelite English sculptor John Hancock around 1850.. for the Great Exhibition. I discovered it hiding in a quiet corner of the British Galleries (Room 122) which seemed a shame for such a powerful piece… #beatrice #dante #dantealighieri #sculpture #drawing #contemporyart #divinecomedy

💥New Series- ‘Stone Ghosts’💥 ‘St Sebastian’ - pencil on paper - 21 x 30cms (A4) / 12” x 8” - DM for price Continuing with my new V&A series, this time with a drawing from the cast room, (one of my favourite places in all of London) of the plaster copy of Matteo Civitali’s St Sebastian - 1482 . He was commissioned to carve the figure of the purest white marble, gilded bronze halo and arrows. The original sits in Lucca Cathedral, Italy and still retains some of its original arrows. It’s an image I know well, but as I drew it I began to imagine what it might have felt like to be actually shot with arrows, not a pleasant thought. According to the story, the arrows failed to kill him for the crime of being a Christian, and he was rescued and healed by Irene of Rome. Later he returned to the emperor Diocletian, who had ordered his death, and warned him of his sins and cruelties.. The Emperor had him clubbed to death instead. #stsebastian #drawing #originaldrawing #pencildrawing #sculpture #classicalart

💥New Series - ‘Stone Ghosts’💥 ‘Venus Italica’ - Egg tempera and pencil on paper - 21x30cms (A4) /12”x 8” - DM for details I’ve had the great privilege of spending time drawing sculptures at the V&A recently for a new series of work ‘Stone Ghosts’ - This is a drawing of the Venus Italica, a copy of Canova’s Venere Italica, probably by the sculptor GM Benzoni in 1862. She currently stands in a lovely quiet spot of the gallery (room 126, if anyone wants to look for her) gazing out towards some beautiful large windows… More to come.. #v&a #museums #statues #venus #venusdrawing #contemporaryart #drawing

This is The Annunciation by Zoe Dorelli @zoedorelli Egg tempera on gesso panel, 20cm x 28cm, 2023 Currently in A Goodly Company @ascgallery @aschandbagfactory With a love of traditional techniques and materials, Zoe Dorelli’s work plays with collective narratives using elements from religious iconography, classical painting and sculpture. Blending visual realism with a sense of the ethereal and otherworldly she re-imagines ancient mythical and foundational themes,thereby restating their relevance to contemporary life as well as opening a portal to the poetic and archetypal realm. #theanunciation #zoedorelli #contemporarypainting #contemporaryillumination #flowers #exhibition #london #october #2025 #ascgallery #ascthehandbagfactory

Very excited to be part of this exhibition, curated by the brilliant @mariannelwalker …. Goodly Company indeed! I will be showing a little tempera painting titled ‘The Annunciation’ - Egg Tempera on gesso panel, 20 x 28cm #goodlycompany #contempoearyart #friends @aschandbagfactory #londonart #painting #annunciation #eggtempera #eggtemperapainting