Sketches of Three Statues: Diana, Nymph Bathing and Cupid and Pysche
ca. 1850
Medium
Graphite, with inscriptions in pen and brown ink on tracing paper
Dimensions
sheet: 5 7/8 x 4 7/16 in. (14.9 x 11.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. John De Witt Peltz, 1977
Accession Number
1977.382.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, neoclassical sculptor John Gibson created this delicate set of sketches on tracing paper, capturing three iconic classical statues: Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt; a graceful Nymph Bathing; and the lovers Cupid and Psyche from's ancient myth. Dated around 1850, the drawing measures a modest 5 7/8 x 4 7/16 inches and features precise graphite lines enhanced by inscriptions in pen and brown ink. housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Drawings and Prints department, was generously gifted by Mrs. John De Witt Peltz in 1977. Gibson's use of tracing paper highlights...
About the Artist
John Gibson · 1790–1866
Outstanding Neoclassical sculptor who experimented with the ancient practice of coloring statues, e.g. his 'Tinted Venus' (1851). Flaxman encourgaged him to go to Rome, where he spent most of his life. He left his fortune to the National Gallery, London. British sculptor, active Rome. Comment on works: sculptor