Crowning Homer
n.d.
Medium
Pen and gray ink with brush and gray wash, on gray wove paper, laid down on board
Dimensions
8.7 × 7.4 cm (3 7/16 × 2 15/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
83424
Art Historical Context
Thomas Stothard's *Crowning Homer* is delicate preparatory drawing that captures the neoclassical reverence for ancient poetry. The British artist (1755–1834), renowned for his elegant illustrations and history paintings, frequently drew inspiration from classical mythology and literature. Here, the title evokes a timeless tribute to Homer, the legendary Greek epic poet, likely shown being crowned in a moment of poetic glory—perhaps by muses or admirers—reflecting the 18th- and 19th-century fascination with antiquity amid the Romantic era's classical revival. Executed in pen and gray ink with...
About the Artist
Thomas Stothard · 1755–1834
Thomas Stothard RA (1755–1834) was born on 17 August 1755 at the Black Horse Inn in London's Long Acre, the son of a prosperous publican originally from Stutton near Tadcaster. A delicate child, he was sent at age five to relatives in Yorkshire, attending schools in Acomb, Tadcaster, and later Ilford, Essex, where he honed his drawing skills by copying prints. Following his father's death in 1770,...