Study of a man's head for 'Earth', 1850s

George Frederic Watts RA (1817 - 1904)

RA Collection: Art

A life-size drawing of the head of a man in profile wearing a flat hat of a type originating in Ancient Greece, known as a petasus, and holding a staff in his left hand. At the bottom right of the sheet is a small figure sketch. Both of these drawings relate to the seated shepherd on the left of Watts's fresco 'Earth' (c. 1856), commissioned for 7, Carlton House Terrace by Earl and Lady Somers.

Watts was commissioned by the Somers' to paint a series of frescoes and chose to represent the Elements through Greek mythological subjects. The 'Earth' mural is also known as 'Bacchus and Ariadne' because the central figure and general composition is clearly based on Titian's canvas of the same name. The frescoes were rediscovered during the 1930s when the house was in use as part of the German embassy. 'Earth' is now at Malvern College, Worcestershire and the others are at 16 Carlton House Terrace, the office of the Crown Estates Commissioners.

This drawing, and a study for 'The Red Cross Knight Overcoming the Dragon' (RA 04/192) are variations on the same rustic classicising figure. Watts frequently developed and re-used figures in different compositions. The figure of this shepherd first appeared in Watts' 'The First Whisper of Love' (1846, Santa Barbara Museum of Art), a painting loosely based on the format of Rembrandt's 'The Evangelist Matthew Inspired by the Angel' (1661, Louvre). Watts then produced studies of the shepherd figure for this painting while staying at the Villa Careggi with Lady Duff Gordon and her two daughters (see Watts Gallery, 2004 exhib. catalogue).



Further reading:

Veronica Franklin Gould ed., The Vision of G F Watts, exhib. cat, The Watts Gallery, 2004, cat. no. 38, p. 59