- Isambard Kingdom Brunel drew this picture when he was only six years old. His father, Marc, has written Isambard’s name in the top right corner.
- Isambard’s father was an engineer and wanted Isambard to grow up to become an engineer too. Marc believed that engineers should have good drawing skills and encouraged Isambard to regularly practice drawing.
- If you look closely, you can see Isambard has learnt to use lines and shadows to make the horse look three dimensional and to bring it more to life.
- If you look at Isambard’s famous sketches for his later engineering projects, you can see how his drawing skills have improved and how they accurately communicate his ideas.
The Story
The Beginning of Isambard’s Education
Marc Brunel, Isambard’s father, was very interested in Isambard’s education. An engineer himself, Marc wanted his son to become an engineer too. From a young age, Marc gave Isambard a good grounding in the principles of engineering and mathematics, and taught Isambard to draw when he was four years old.
Isambard and Horses
This drawing may be the first time we see evidence of Isambard’s lifelong interest in horses. In the Victorian times, horses in Britain were often over-worked. Isambard often travelled by horse drawn coach and he was concerned about the wellbeing of these powerful animals.
Isambard also liked to ride horses. He spent many hours riding horses to plot the course of the Great Western Railway between London and Bristol. Despite all this practice, Isambard’s diary tells us that he did occasionally fall off his horse!
