Sir Thomas Browne
Summary
This gloomy interior scene is dominated by the presence of a skeleton which is leaning over the shoulder of the man seated at a desk so that it can guide his writing. The skeleton does this by placing its right hand over the man's hand as he writes with a quill and by holding up the burning torch whose light guides them both with its left hand. The man, who is looking down at the paper on which he writes, is seated in the centre of the composition but is largely in shadow as the torch only really highlights the desk on which he works. The rest of the scene is less discernible but it is clear that it is some sort of study for the man as above the wooden panelling of the back wall there is a row of books. To the right of the scene there is a window which the desk and man face towards, but no light comes from it and only stars are visible through the panes of glass indicating that the scene is set at night time.
Object Name
Sir Thomas Browne
Creators Name
Date Created
1910
Dimensions
print: 9.2cm x 10.5cm
support: 9.9cm x 11cm
accession number
1928.349
Collection Group
Place of creation
Europe
Support
paper
Medium
ink (black)
Credit
Gift of Mrs and Miss Rutherston, 1928