Menelaus Wounded
John Michael Rysbrack (Antwerp 1684 – London 1770)
Category
Art / Drawings and watercolours
Date
1763 - 1767 (date of sale)
Materials
Pen and ink and brown wash heightened with white on paper
Measurements
261 x 367mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Stourhead, Wiltshire
NT 730992
Summary
Pen and ink and brown wash heightened with white drawing on paper, Menelaus Wounded, by John Michael Rysbrack (Antwerp 1694 – London 1770). Menelaus transfixed by an arrow, is surrounded by his captains before their tents. On a piece of paper stuck to the back of the mount are inscribed eight lines in the artist's hand six lines from Alexander Pope's translation (1807) of the Greek poet Homer's epic Iliad IV (178 -186): 'With horror seiz'd, the king of men descry'd/ The shaft infix'd, and saw the gushing tide:/ Nor less the Spartan fear'd, before he found/ The shining barb appear above the wound.'
Provenance
Bought by Henry Hoare (1705-1785) at the artist's sale, 14 February 1767, lot 27; thence by descent; given to the National Trust along with the house, its grounds, and the rest of the contents by Sir Henry Hugh Arthur Hoare, 6th Bt (1865 – 1947) in 1946
Credit line
Stourhead, The Hoare Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
Centre: With Horror Seiz'd the King of men defery'd The shaft infix'd, and saw the gushing tide: Nor less the Spartan fear'd before he found The Shining Barb appear above the Wound. Then, with a sigh that heav'd his manly Breast, The Royal Brother thus his grief exprest, And grasp'd his hand; while all the Greeks around With answering sighs return'd the plaintive sound.
Makers and roles
John Michael Rysbrack (Antwerp 1684 – London 1770), artist
References
Webb 1954: M. I. Webb, Michael Rysbrack, Sculptor, London 1954, p. 185