Development of art in Greece; Pliny on art; Eumarus: 832/5.f.32

Materials used in production

Brown ink

Components of the work

Support composed of laid paper
Leaf Size Height 213 mm Width 150 mm

Techniques used in production

Handwriting : Pen and brown ink on laid paper

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: [i] preceding three words crossed through in brown ink; [ii] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink; [iii] preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [iv] preceding four words crossed through in brown ink; [v] preceding word crossed through in ink

• Text: he adds his works were rude & uncomely to / the sight, but they bore somwhat[sic] of Divinity / in their aspect, thus 'tho his works were rude he was esteemed for having given something / of motion & character to them & he is said / to have excelled his competitors by much, it / is likely their works resembled some of the rude / Egyptian statues, whose bodies & limbs being of / of[sic] the same mass form a long[i] on account of their / long square general form were not unlike the / Hermes on which they were a gradual im / -provement / B.C.1134 the next[ii] the next improvement occurs in / Pliny Lib:35 Cap:8 he says the picture of / in[sic] which was the battle of the Magnetes / painted by Bularchus: was repaid with it's weigt / by Candaules king of Lydia the last of the Heraclides / who was called Myrsilus, so great now was the / dignity of painting &c / the principles[iii] beginning of the Art of painting was deli / in paintings of[iv] one color or Monochormata / the age of which is not recorded / Hegi[?]nontes, Dincas[?] & Charonas[?] ma[v] first / distinguished in painting between Masculine / & Feminine (Characters) / Eumarus the Athenian presumed to imitate all figures
• Location: Recto
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: [i] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink; [ii] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink; [iii] preceding five words crossed through in brown ink; [iv] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink

• Text: Cimon Cleonaeus improved on his Eumarus's invention / & discovered catagraphy (i.e.) varie depictum) / designing oblique images & various forms of the / face, looking-back, looking-up & looking-down / he also distinguished the joints of[i] articulations / of the members or extremities: he shewed the veins, / & besides found out the manner of representing the folds & pleats in the drapery / these improvements were made after the / time of Daedalus & pliny says[ii] before the time of Bularchus who painted the / battle of the Magnetes about 570 years after / the year[iii] 570 years after [?]...in / Daedalus & in the time of Romulus, Pliny says of this work "that then was / shewn the renown % perfection of / the art
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Brown ink

• Text: B.C. / 627
• Location: Verso, lower left
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Identification numbers

Accession number: 832/5.f.32
Primary reference Number: 38298
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 20 May 2021 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints