Ink drawing of coastline donated to museum

The artwork was created by Michael Sandle 2021

An ink drawing depicting part of the “fantastically interesting landscape” of the Isle of Man coastline has been put on display at the Manx Museum.

Renowned sculptor Michael Sandle RA gave the artwork to Manx National Heritage (MNH) so it could be added to its collections.

Sculptural Rock Formations on the Isle of Man features the cliff face at Black Head, near to the rock formation known as the Drinking Dragon off the island’s south coast.

The artist, who grew up on the island, said he had donated it as a “gesture of gratitude” for his childhood.

Although not born on the island himself, his family had moved to the island when he was a young boy during World War Two.

Mr Sandle presented a previous drawing of the same scene, which was entitled Sculptural Isle of Man Cliffs, to Tynwald in 2022.

He said he had been inspired to create the drawing after a boat trip to see basking sharks off the Manx coast with friends, during which he took a number of photographs of the coastal rock formations.

He said it was a part of the coast he had never seen before as it could only be viewed by boat, and he had been left “fascinated by it”.

“This is probably in my opinion the best drawing I’ve ever done,” he said.

“And it’s a very complete work of its own standing as a drawing based on fantastically interesting landscape.

Mr Sandle said he wanted it to be kept somewhere that it would be looked after.

The artist said he was grateful to have grown up on the island

The donation of the artwork to the heritage body coincided with the official launch of a book featuring the artist’s drawings, Works on Paper, which has the Manx image as its front cover.

Reflecting on his motivation for handing the drawing over, he said: “It’s a gesture of gratitude for having incredible good fortune to have been brought up here.

“I love the Isle of Man.”

The drawing has been put on display in the national art gallery at the Manx Museum.

Curator Katie King said MNH was “honoured” to accept the drawing into its collections.

“It’s such an accomplished drawing, he’s such an accomplished artist, it’s quite extraordinary,” she added.