Sketches of spherical orb and spherical 'head'; inscription: the evolution of idol worship: 832/13.f.81

Materials used in production

Brown ink
Graphite

Components of the work

Support composed of laid paper
Leaf Height 323 mm Width 203 mm

Techniques used in production

Drawing (image-making) : Pen and brown ink with some graphite on laid paper
Handwriting

Inscription or legends present

• Text: Fig. 1 Fig. 2
• Location: Recto, below sketches
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Inscription present: the following in brown ink: [i] preceding word crossed through; [ii] two preceding words crossed through

• Text: Hamilton says upon the Testimony of Sanchionaton / who wrote from the Books of Toth[?] that the first / Man (which I understand to be the Descendants / of Mizraim & Phut) [deletion] / worshipped a Round stone &c Fig.1 they afterwards / represented an uncouth Head, & Perhaps that / of the Circular form at Rome call'd the Mouth of / Truth may be nothing more than the [?]-Baal / Rotundus Dominus) Figs 2 - It will be needless / to Remark one of the simplest Problems of Geometry / (a Circle) is the Principles[i] figure on which this Face / is Engraved we shall find throughout the works / of the Antients[sic] a great[ii] all their best statues / were form'd on geometrical Principles. / It is said by Diodorus Siculus that Daedalus was / the first who opened the Eyes & Freed the arms / from the Bodies of his statues: so that we find / sculpture cou'd not be arrived at any Great Degree / in Egypt at that Time, & Much Less when the / Israelites left that country & worshipped the Golden / Calf (or O[?]rus)
• Location: Recto, below the above
• Method of creation: Brown ink

• Text: First Principles, or Radicals / Monr Rollin upon the Authority of - / mentions / a Figure of Jupiter Ammon (which the / Learned Bryant Proves to be the same with / Ham the son of Noah) made with clay, before / the Art of cutting stone was known among Men / but Race of Canaan inhabiting Egypt &c / Currupted the Worship of the True God, with one / of the Beings of his Creation, the Sun (see Bryant / Thence Arose the Adoration of a Round stone / as a Resemblance of the Sun's Disk fig. 2 - / see Hamilton's Essay on sculpture. also the / worshiped logs & cylindrical & square / stones under the Names of Jupiter
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Brown ink

Identification numbers

Accession number: 832/13.f.81
Primary reference Number: 40453
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