drawing
- Museum number
- 1906,0707.27
- Description
-
Study for the painting 'Britomart and her Nurse before the Magic Mirror' (Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery); at left, Britomart standing to front and holding a magic crystal, the shapes she sees appear in procession behind her, to right, Sir Arthegall on a horse, above him, the heads of a knight and lady riding side by side, and to right Sir Guyon riding beside him, the palmer walks in front, above and beyond him, the head of a knight, and indicated at the top are the Red Cross knight and Una, in the foreground, the Nurse asleep in a chair
Graphite
- Production date
- 1851-1875
- Dimensions
-
Height: 588 millimetres
-
Width: 429 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- The painting was first exhibited at the summer exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 1878 (no.379), Grosvenor Gallery in 1881-82 (no.64; lent by the artist) and the Royal Academy memorial exhibition of 1905. This drawing seems a rejected initial design for the work and is closely related to an oil study approximately 18 x 25 inches in size, slightly larger than the present sheet (Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery). Watts had been working on the composition from about 1851-52.
The horse was inspired by the north frieze of the Parthenon and from an early age Watts was captivated by the beauty of these sculptures. From the age of ten he frequented the studio of William Behnes (1795-1864) who introduced him to them. John Ruskin urged the artist to study 'botany not Phideas' to distance him from any overt classicism in his work. Another work in which there is a quotation from the sculptures of the Parthenon is 'Aridne in Naxos' (1867-75; Grosvenor Gallery 1881-2 no.172: lent by C H Rickards,Guildhall Art Gallery, London), which recall female figures and their rippling drapery from the east pediment. Watts regarded this work as 'perhaps the most complete I have painted'.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1969, BM, 'Royal Academy Draughtsmen 1769-1969', no.322
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Faerie Queene
- Acquisition date
- 1906
- Acquisition notes
- By descent from the artist to his wife Mary Seton Watts
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1906,0707.27