It was once the staple of every artist’s practice, before falling out of fashion at the hands of conceptual art, formaldehyde cows and unmade beds.

But drawing is officially back, according to the British Museum, as it plans to offer pencils and sketchbooks at a major exhibition for the first time.

Staff at the museum said they had noticed a significant increase in art students and members of the public wanting to draw in its galleries, despite the proliferation of mobile phone cameras.

As such, they are to provide pencils, paper, rubbers and smudging clothes at its new blockbuster Rodin exhibition, inspired by the artist’s own visits to draw in its galleries in the late 19th century.

Curators hope to encourage the visiting public to look more closely at its objects, swapping a quick photograph, often uploaded onto social media, with the time it takes to sketch by hand.