Studies of Fairies with a Pair of Hands (possibly representing the Opening of Pandora's Box)
Medium
Graphite and red chalk, pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, and white gouache (bodycolor)
Dimensions
sheet: 14 15/16 x 21 3/4 in. (38 x 55.3 cm), irreg.
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, 2004
Accession Number
2004.264
Tags
Art Historical Context
William Lock the Younger's *Studies of Fairies with a Pair of Hands (possibly representing the Opening of Pandora's Box)*, created in 1784, offers a whimsical glimpse into late 18th-century British draftsmanship. This intricate sheet captures ethereal fairies and expressive hands in a fantastical scene, potentially alluding to the Greek myth of Pandora unleashing evils upon the world—a popular motif in neoclassical art that blended classical lore with emerging Romantic imagination. At just 14 15/16 x 21 3/4 inches, it exemplifies Lock's skill as a miniaturist and illustrator, whose works often...