Angel Scourging a Harpy (recto); Athletic Scene (verso)

Art Historical Context

This double-sided drawing, created by an anonymous British artist around 1890,ivates with its vivid imagery on both recto and verso. The front (recto) depicts an angel scourging a harpy—a creature with a woman's face and bird's body—symbolizing punishment and moral retribution, themes resonant in Victorian-era religious and fantastical art. The back (verso) shifts to an athletic scene, likely evoking classical ideals of the male form in motion, a nod to the era's fascination with ancient Greece and Rome amid rising interest in physical culture and Olympia excavations. Executed in bodycolor an...