Taster talk: John Flaxman’s illustrations to Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey
17 October 2019 2 - 2.15pm21 November 2019 2 - 2.15pm5 December 2019 2 - 2.15pm
The Collection Gallery, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Free, no booking required.
Drop in for a free 15-minute talk to unearth the hidden stories of the Royal Academy.
This talk introduces Storylines, a display of original drawings by John Flaxman from the RA Collection. These striking outline drawings of scenes from Homer’s epic poems made Flaxman famous throughout Europe during his lifetime. They were produced as a side line to his career as a sculptor but when they were published as engravings at the end of the 18th century they proved an instant hit. Using only outline, the illustrations appeared strikingly original and distinctive at the time. Flaxman relied on ‘pure’ line with no colour, shading or tone. The results were rhythmic, economical yet elegant and were described as poetry in visual form.
In this series of taster talks, encounter the stories behind the RA’s remarkable Collection and buildings from the RA staff’s insider perspective. Taster talks take place at 2pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
Taster talks are free and last 15 minutes. Ask a member of the team on site for further information.
Taster talks
In this series of taster talks, encounter the stories behind the RA’s remarkable Collection and buildings from the RA staff’s insider perspective.