drawing;
print study
- Museum number
- 1888,0503.24
- Description
-
Early study for 'Ulysses giving wine to Polyphemus' for Flaxman's illustrations to Homer's 'Odyssey'; the cyclops Polyphemus drinking wine seated to front and holding the bowl to his lips, Ulysses pours the wine r, his comrades stand behind the sheep l. c. 1792-1805
Pen and grey ink over graphite
- Production date
- 1792-1805 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 243 millimetres
-
Width: 306 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This subject was plate 14 (P&D 1973-U-1188 (15), engraved by James Parker) in the 1805 edition. It was accompanied by the following verse: "More! Give me more he cried, the boon be thine, / whoe'er thou art that bear'st celestial wine."
This drawing was presumably an early compositional idea for this subject but one which Flaxman ultimately rejected. The final engraving is in a horizontal, rather than square, format, with Polyphemus in profile facing Ulysses who pours wine into a bowl, his comrades in a group looking on.
See the curatorial comment for 1888,0503.8 for contextual information regarding Flaxman's illustrations to Homer.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Odyssey
- 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
- 1888,0503.24
