A Drawing of a Part for the Map of the Moon
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.A portraitist and amateur astronomer, Russell created numerous detailed sketches of the moon based on observations through his telescope. He annotated this sheet using a system of shorthand developed by the English poet John Byrom (1692–1763). Russell used his sketches as source material for several lunar projects, including large pastel drawings, globes, and prints, such as the one on this wall.
Artwork Details
- Title: A Drawing of a Part for the Map of the Moon
- Artist: John Russell (British, Guildford 1745–1806 Hull)
- Date: 1794
- Medium: Graphite on paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 8 in. × 6 1/8 in. (20.3 × 15.6 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Conn., Paul Mellon Collection (B1975.4.920)
- Curatorial Department: Photographs