Studies of fairies with a pair of hands (possibly representing the Opening of Pandora's Box)

1784

Not on view

The son of a prominent art collector, Lock studied with William Gilpin and became a favorite of Henry Fuseli who described the youth's drawings as "unrivaled by any man of this day...for invention, taste and spirit." Despite such encouragement, Lock largely gave up artistic practice while still in his twenties. This sheet of sketches centers on an open casket containing female figures and winged creatures whose classical drapery and idealized bodies recall Fuseli’s depictions of Ariel from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," and Gloriana from Spenser's "Faerie Queene." Other forms, such as the thin-winged creature at the far left, anticipate the fanciful fairies created by Victorian artists.

Artwork Details

Title: Studies of fairies with a pair of hands (possibly representing the Opening of Pandora's Box)
Artist: William Lock the Younger (British, 1767–1847)
Date: 1784
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
Credit Line: Purchase, 2004
Object Number: 2004.264
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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