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John Flaxman

Study for Prometheus Chained, 1794 - 1795

Description

Maker

  • John Flaxman, 1755 - 1826, English

Title

Study for Prometheus Chained

Year

1794 - 1795

Medium

Pen and ink on paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • pen and ink

Dimensions

15.2 x 16.5 cm (6 x 6 1/2 inches) (sheet) sight

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Drawings and Watercolors

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Eleanor Fayerweather

Object Number

1993.085.5

About

This drawing was a study for an illustration. The titan Prometheus is chained to a rock as punishment for stealing fire from the gods and sharing it with humanity. The final version of this work was engraved by Frank Howard and published in Compositions from the Tragedies of Aeschylus in 1795.

After working as a modeler for the ceramics manufactory Wedgwood and a brief stay in Rome, English sculptor and draftsman John Flaxman became famous for his line drawings illustrating classic literary works. His crisp, continuous outlines and spare use of shading, influenced by engravings after Greek vases, conveyed a sense of classical purity.

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Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Study for Prometheus Chained with the accession number of 1993.085.5. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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