Character: Venus, Venus de Medici and Hercules: 832/7.f.40

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: 40
• Location: Upper right corner
• Method of creation: Graphite

Inscription present: the following in brown ink: [i] preceding word crossed through

• Text: being the patron of the Gymnastic exercises / Venus / Her Character is beauty & Grace finely represented / in the Copies of that made by Praxiteles for the / Enidians, a fine example in the collection of / Duke Brach[i] Braschi in Rome / Venus de Medicis / is of a less elevated character because her / form & expression is not so simple / The likeness of the Gods shew their family / The characters & forms of the Gods shew their / offices / Hercules / In the small round curls of his hair the forms / of his eyes & the thickness of his neck, are / to be traced the resemblance to a Bull+ / he has the greatest breadth & thickness of / proportions with muscles the most turgid / & decided in their forms, of any of the Gods / or Demi-Gods. / +Winckelman
• Location: Recto
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: the following in brown ink unless stated otherwise: [i] preceding two words crossed through; [ii] preceding word in graphite

• Text: Heroes / The Beauty of their countenance & the simplicity / of their form is less than those of the Gods, but / superior to those of men / Fauns / Their forms & beauti[i] countenance inferior in / simplicity & Beauty to the Heroes, their / similitudes vary according to their gradations / & employments, the superior orders resembling / the Heroes in Beauty, the lower orders almost / brutes / There[sic] Faun of Praxiteles is nearest to the / beauty of the Heroic Class, as likewise another with / a beautiful face & figure, in a standing position / holding an Ewer in one hand & only distinguished / from the Heroes by Goats ears, this perhaps is / the Hero Ceramicus[ii] son of Bacchus mentioned / by Pausanias / The nex[iii] forms of the inferior orders of fauns / have sometimes great thickness to indicate a / dwarfish stature, their Abdomen are generally / small, their muscles turgid tendonous & / strongly determined in their forms such as are seen in savage nature & in men
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Identification numbers

Accession number: 832/7.f.40
Primary reference Number: 38735
Stable URI

Audit data

Associated departments & institutions

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