drawing
- Museum number
- SL,5308.86
- Description
-
Two putti for the sundial on the Denny clock-salt, two putti standing back-to-back
Pen and black and brown ink, with grey wash
- Production date
- 1543 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 83 millimetres
-
Width: 67 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- This is a preliminary study, executed vigorously with pen, for the putti on the crown of the clock-salt ordered by Sir Anthony Denny, for which Holbein's final drawing survives (1850,0713.14) as well as two drawn copies. One of the latter records Holbein's initial design in which the principal difference is that the putti are represented with wings, each with one arm raised to grasp the central pillar or dial, as in Sl,5308.86.
For earlier literature, see: J. Rowlands, 'German Drawings in the British Museum, by artists born before 1530', 2 vols. London, British Museum Press,1993, no. 336
S. Foister, 'Holbein and England', New Haven and London, 2004, pp.139ff for selective references to the 5308 drawings
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1862 BM London, Guide Drawing&Prints, King's Library, no. 15
1960, BM, Sloane Drawings, (no cat.)
1988, July-Oct, BM, Age of Dürer & Holbein, no. 212a
- Acquisition date
- 1753
- Acquisition notes
- Transferred from the Dept. of Manuscripts to Prints + Drawings on 20 July 1860. For a history of the contents of Sloane 5308, see SL,5308.1.
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- SL,5308.86
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: Add.5308.a (Dept. of Manuscripts Mss no.)