Milton's Comus
Medium
Pen and ink, brush and brown wash, touches of white gouache (bodycolor), on brown paper
Dimensions
sheet: 9 x 14 1/2 in. (22.9 x 36.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005
Accession Number
2007.49.502
Tags
Art Historical Context
Sir Joseph Noël Paton’s *Milton’s Comus* (1842–48) is a captivating preparatory drawing inspired by John Milton’s 1634 masque *Comus*, a poetic work blending classical mythology, temptation, and moral allegory. The scene likely depicts figures from the dramatic narrative—perhaps the enchanter Comus and his seductive attendants—evoking the masque’s themes of virtue resisting enchantment. Paton, a prominent Victorian artist known for his intricate literary illustrations, captures the ethereal and sensual quality of Milton’s text through dynamic compositions featuring both male and female nudes, ...
About the Artist
Sir Joseph Noël Paton|John Milton (British, Scottish|British) · 1821 |1608 –1901 |1674
British, Dunfermline, Scotland 1821–1901 Edinburgh|British, London 1608–1674 London