print study;
drawing
- Museum number
- 1888,0503.12
- Description
-
"Homer's Iliad First Thoughts"; three preliminary sketches for Flaxman's illustrations to Homer's 'Iliad', including two versions of Aphrodite and Apollo keeping fresh the body of Hector ("Iliad", XXIII, 185), and the Winds blowing the pyre of Patroclus (Plate 31, "Iliad", XXIII, 216). c. 1792-1793
Pen and grey ink, over graphite
- Production date
- 1792-1793 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 268 millimetres
-
Width: 195 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The subject of the first two drawings - Aphrodite and Apollo keeping fresh the body of Hector - was not engraved for the final publication. The latter subject was engraved by Thomas Piroli and published by J Matthews, 441 Strand, January 12th, 1795. The engravings are in the department (reg.no 1973,U.1189[1-40]).
Deanna Petherbridge described this sheet of sketches as representing "quick repetitions of established arrangements where figures are summarily abstracted in a brisk shorthand" (Deanna Petherbridge, 'Some Thoughts on Flaxman and the Engraved Outlines', Print Quarterly, 27 (2011) pp. 386-391).
See the curatorial comment for 1888, 0503.8 for contextual information regarding Flaxman's illustrations to Homer.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1979 Apr-Jun, Kunsthalle, Hamburg, 'Flaxman', no. 95
1979 Jul-Sep, Thorwaldsen Museum, 'Flaxman', no. 95
1979 Oct-Dec, RA, 'Flaxman', no. 95
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Iliad
- Acquisition date
- 1888
- Acquisition notes
- Probably Flaxman sale, Christie's, 10.iv.1862/part of lot 165, 15 in the lot, 'The Iliad. "First Thoughts" for the Iliad; numerous beautiful small pen studies for most of the engraved subjects, on fifteen sheets' bt £9-9-0
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1888,0503.12
