Morning: Pope's Odyssey, Book 12 (recto); Study for the final drawing (verso)
1792
Medium
Pen and gray ink over graphite
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 5/16 x 10 13/16 in. (21.1 x 27.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Scott & Fowles, 1918
Accession Number
18.141.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
John Flaxman, a British neoclassical artist and sculptor, created this double-sided drawing in 1792 while in Rome, during his influential period producing illustrations for Alexander Pope's translation of Homer's *Odyssey*. The recto features "Morning: Pope's, Book 12," a pivotal scene likely involving Circe's warnings to Odysseus about perils like the Sirens and Scylla—evident from the tag highlighting women. The verso shows a preparatory study for the final composition, showcasing Flaxman's meticulous process. Executed in pen and gray ink over graphite on a modest 8 5/16 x 10 13/16 in. shee...
About the Artist
John Flaxman · 1755–1826
John Flaxman (1755–1826) was born in York, England, the son of John Flaxman Sr., a moulder and seller of plaster casts who ran a studio in London's Covent Garden. Largely self-taught amid his father's stock of classical casts, with minimal formal schooling due to childhood illness, Flaxman displayed prodigious talent early on. At age 12, he won a Society of Arts prize for a medallion; by 15, anoth...