Head of Solomon (recto); Classical Head (verso)

Benjamin Robert Haydon

ca. 1812 · Black chalk with white chalk on brown paper (recto); black chalk (verso) · Drawings and Prints

Ambitious to prove himself as a history painter, Haydon painted a large "Judgment of Solomon" between 1812-14. This is one of a pair of drawings where he developed the key figure of the king, a subject he discussed in his journal on April 8, 1812: "I wish to express Solomon a fine youthful king of Israel...cllothed in gold, with a sceptre and a crimson robe, his face youthful--dignity commingled with wisdom." The mature, dark-haired figure who appears here was an early conception, replaced later with a younger, more classical looking king. Haydon worked from models and studied Raphael's Cartoons to establish the composition that he exhibited at the Oil and Water Colour Society, Spring Gardens in 1814 (now Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery, UK).

Artist

Benjamin Robert Haydon

Date

ca. 1812

Medium

Black chalk with white chalk on brown paper (recto); black chalk (verso)

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of James David Draper and the Robert Isaacson Collection, 2020