Descriptions of the statuary of the Hall of Niobe: 832/5.f.6

Materials used in production

Brown ink
Grey ink

Components of the work

Support composed of laid paper
Leaf Size Height 213 mm Width 150 mm

Techniques used in production

Handwriting : Pen with brown and grey ink on laid paper

Inscription or legends present

• Text: 6
• Location: Upper right
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: [i] preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [ii] preceding four words crossed through in brown ink; [iii] - preceding word crossed through in brown ink; [iv] preceding two words crossed through in brown ink, the following two words appearing above the line; [*] from this point, grey ink

• Text: in the first Chamber on the right hand / of Venus are 2 figures of the Infant Hercules / the same with that of which we have a cast in / England but the right hand in each of these / is stretched out & the left holds a bird / I prefer the restoration with[i] which makes / the child in the act of strangling a Serpent / another Infant Herac / les P:8 / Hall of Niobe / The mother is at one End with her infant daughter / the Father Amphio is at the opposite end, this is a mean / poor figure inferior in Character & workmanship / to the others, & I think of a later age, one of the / figures which is placed for a son of Niobe is confess- / - sed not to belong to them, & they suppose it to / be an Endymion, the Arms & feet of Most of them / are restored & tolerably well, all that is the[ii] / most likely as Pliny says by Scopas much[iii] many / of the figures are of the sublimest Character & / Expression the countenances & attitudes Noble / actions full of the finest[iv] force & Expression, [*] there is / a wonderful roundess & perfection of form in / the limbs & naked parts of the women, the / bodies & limbs of the men particularly, the dead / figure is done with wonderful attention
• Location: Recto
• Method of creation: Brown ink, last 4 lines and 2 words of the 5 in grey ink

Inscription present: the first line and the next 5 words in grey ink, the remainder brown ink; [i] preceding word crossed through by two lines of brown ink, the following word appears above the line

• Text: to nature without exaggeration, there / is no affectation of Style, beautiful nature / was chosen by the Artist & copied with so much spirit judgment[sic] & truth of Anatomy / and outlines with a delicasy of execution that / when seen in proper light the naked parts / seem capable of Motion, the draperies are of / fine clothes light beautifully disposed to contrast / the limbs & shew them, as well as to add / dignity to the figures particularly 2 of the / sons who have wrapped their Pallice[i] Chlamydae round / their arms, one stretches his arm out / the other covers his head with it & thus produces / sublimity in the upper part of the figure / some of these figures particularly the dead / son seems to have been worked intirely[sic] / with the Chissel[sic] others have been finished / with a rasp / In another chamber is the beautiful / delicate figure of the Hermaphrodite & c / Chamber of Bronzes / John of Bologna's Mercury going to / rise into the air
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Grey and brown inks

Identification numbers

Accession number: 832/5.f.6
Primary reference Number: 37936
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 20 May 2021 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints