John Flaxman whilst Lecturing at the Royal Academy
after 1800
Cornelius Varley sketched the famous sculptor John Flaxman in the middle of a lecture at the Royal Academy, capturing a rare candid moment. Flaxman, a giant of Neoclassical sculpture who heavily influenced William Blake, looks intense here with his distinctive balding head and hair tied back. Varley was a multi-talented figure who actually invented a type of telescope, and his loose, quick drawing style here feels almost like a modern snapshot of a professor in action. It’s a charming glimpse into the academic art world of the early 19th century, showing the artist as a teacher.
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