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Character: 832/7.f.39

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Object information

Awaiting location update

Titles

Character
Continuation of recto; descriptions of the character of Apollo, Bacchus and Mercury

Maker(s)

Draughtsman: Flaxman, John

Categories

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1916-12) by Murray, Charles Fairfax

School or Style

British

Materials used in production

Brown ink

Components of the work

Support composed of laid paper
Leaf Height 230 mm Width 169 mm

Techniques used in production

Handwriting : Pen and brown ink on laid paper

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 39
  • Location: Upper right corner
  • Method of creation: Graphite

Inscription present: the first word crossed through in brown ink

  • Text: Definitions / Scholia
  • Location: Recto, upper right
  • Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: the following in brown ink: [i] preceding word crossed through; [ii] preceding word crossed through; [iii] preceding four words crossed through

  • Text: Character / 1 The source of the Sublime, is Unity, from which / is generated Multitude. / 2 Simplicity is a characteristic of Unity & from / it is produced variety. / 3 by Gentle variations of the Simple the Beautiful / is produced / 4 by the Gentle Motion of the simple the graceful / is produced / 5 by violent variation the[i] or motion the / Passionate & Deformed are produced / These principles are evident to the Understanding / sinsible[sic] representations must be regulated by them / The Character of Jupiter holds the first rank / amongst the Divinities represented by the Greeks / It was necessary that he should be Beautiful in / form, Strong in Size, perfect in Age, Awefull[sic] in / Countenance / The characterss of the Gods are more simple than inferior Characters, & so on to the lowest classes of / Humanity / Ch[ii] Jupiter. / Beautiful in form, Strong in size, perfect in Age, Awefull[sic] in Countenance. the above of jupiter[iii] be
  • Location: Recto
  • Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: the following in brown ink: [i] preceding two words crossed through, following four above the line; [ii] preceding word crossed through; [iii] preceding word crossed through; [iv] preceding two words crossed through; [v] preceding word crossed through; [vi] preceding four words above the line; [vii] preceding five words crossed through

  • Text: appears to be of 40 years[i] a middle age a period in which the strength / of[ii] & activity of Man[iii] Man is the same as at any / earlier period of man-hood, & his Understanding is / more perfect[iv] in its full force & perfection. / + In the forehead & nose of this Divinenity[sic] / as well as in the disposition of his hair, there is / a strong resemblance to the upper part of a Lion's / face & mane, which gives terror to his Countenance. / Apollo / Is the next perfect character amongst the gods / next[v] to his father Jupiter, & appears exactly what He might / be supposed to be, when just arrived at the age of / perfect manhood / Bacchus / resembles Apollo so strongly that they might often / be mistaken, * were it not for their symbols, / however he may generally known by the delicate luxury / of his forms, & the ease of his attitude / the sway of his figure, is grace in the extreme, when / he reclines on Ampelus, or Acratus or sometimes / a Muse, in which situation he is often seen. / Mercury / His character regulated by his office[vi] is less elevated than the foregoing / his hair is short, his figure is more fleshy, his muscles / more stout, & in the whole re[vii] on account of his / + this remark is Winckelman's made by him on the bust / in Round hall of the Vatican Museum / * Winckelman
  • Location: Verso
  • Method of creation: Brown ink

Identification numbers

Accession number: 832/7.f.39
Primary reference Number: 38733
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

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Character" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/38733 Accessed: 2024-03-29 10:48:41

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/38733 |title=Character |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-03-29 10:48:41|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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