Bordeaux in pictures

Scottish artist Jonathan Warrender has taken inspiration from Bordeaux to create a collection of 26 drawings featuring some of the region’s most famous châteaux.

Jonathan Warrender takes a break among the vines

The idea for the project was rooted in a visit by Warrender to paint a picture of Latour more than 20 years ago. With the help of Fiona Morrison MW of Le Pin and Mark Walford, founder of UK importer Richards Walford, he compiled a list of châteaux which, Warrender told the drinks business, “would make an interesting collection and really show people where these wines come from.”

Over a two-year period up to August 2012, he visited Bordeaux to put together a series which features all the first growths and many of the region’s most distinctive châteaux, including some of its more modern architectural designs.

“Some were more difficult to do than others,” Warrender told db, “but being able to complete the thing was the greatest pleasure; it was really nice to finish it.”

During his long hours sitting among the vines, Warrender was particularly struck by the industrious activity going on around him. “I was terribly impressed by how hard people work there,” he remarked. “The vineyard workers were absolutely charming – in fact one of them ended up coming to work on our sheep farm.”

While many of these estates have been regularly depicted in a range of media over the centuries, Warrender lamented what he feels is a modern preference for commissioning photographic representations.

“The thing about wine is that it’s such a craft and has such a strong tradition,” he observed. “From my point of view it’s a great pity that they’ve got themselves terribly involved with photography. Ideally it’s a terribly artistic place, where three drawers looking at the same view could give very different interpretations.”

As for his own choice of medium, Warrender admitted to a strong commercial intent behind the project. “I always wanted to see if I could sell the drawings in the east and was aware that people there with new ambitions and new money were likely to want a more traditional image,” he explained.

To add to the collection’s appeal, Warrender noted that by chance the paper used for the project came from Ruscombe Paper Mill, an English-owned firm which is based in Margaux.

As intended, the original pen and ink wash drawings have now been sold to a private art collector in Hong Kong. However, a limited edition of 30 prints per châteaux are available for £200 each.

Signed and numbered by the artist, the 52x35cm prints have been created using the Giclée process on mould-made, heavyweight Hahnemuhle fine art paper, which is age resistant. The finished result promises “all the tonalities and hues of the original pen and ink wash drawings.”

A selection of Warrender’s drawings, complete with some of his own comments on the stories behind them, is available over the following pages.

For further information or to buy the prints, click here.

10. Haut Brion

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

Warrender picks out his drawing of this first growth, today surrounded by the Bordeaux suburb of Pessac, as a particular favourite from the collection.

9. Margaux

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

So often captured from a head-on distance to take in its famous tree-lined approach, here this elegant château is caught off-centre, as if encountered by chance.

8. Ausone

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

“Terrible weather” scuppered Warrender’s preference for drawing outside, resulting not only in the collection’s sole interior view, but also one of its most charming back stories.

Despite his initial disappointment at being forced indoors, Ausone’s cavernous cellars offered up a surprise consolation prize. “While I was painting a choir came in for a rehearsal, which was rather wonderful,” he recalled.

7. Le Pin

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

In contrast to some of the familiar, historic buildings featured within this collection, the tiny Pomerol estate of Le Pin only completed its new winery in 2011.

“It was great fun to do,” said Warrender of the drawing, which also features the property’s pine tree namesake. “This new architecture is coming in to contrast with tradition and because it’s new, it hasn’t been done so many times.”

6. Pichon Longueville and Latour

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

Despite fond memories of painting Latour in 1989, Warrender was unable to set up a direct encounter with the château on this occasion. However, he did manage to incorporate both it and its famous tower from a distance as part of this sweeping vineyard vista towards the neighbouring Pichon Longueville, which is shown to the left of the picture.

As some compensation for this disappointment, careful observers will note that the easel in the foreground holds a miniature representation of his earlier Latour painting.

5. Cos D’Estournel

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

No Bordeaux collection would be complete without the distinctive oriental design of St Estèphe second growth Cos D’Estournel.

4. Mouton Rothschild

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

For his next first growth, Warrender’s attention was caught not so much by the main building, but this statue. Combined with the moon and long shadows, the star motif creates one of the most atmospheric drawings in this series.

3. Leoville Barton

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

You might almost forget for a moment that we’re wine country as Warrender allows himself to be diverted by owner Anthony Barton’s garden.

In fact, this Saint-Julien second growth is uniquely permitted two appearances in the collection, with a further study (not shown here) of its elegantly landscaped grounds.

2. Cheval Blanc

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

The second modern inclusion of this series comes in the form of this LVMH-owned St Emilion property’s sinuous cellar, which was designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc.

“I like the dead tree in front of the modern building,” remarks Warrender of his own depiction of this edifice, which opened in 2011.

1. Lafite

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

If it looks familiar, that’s because Warrender decided the scene featured on this estate’s label was unbeatable. “It was difficult to get a better angle,” he admitted.

“There’s something rather fun about just being in the right place at the right time.”