Ink and watercolour on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
attributed to <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/george-richmond-447" aria-label="More by George Richmond" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">George Richmond</a>
Fettered Nude Figure Reclining by a Rock
Presented by Mrs John Richmond 1922
actions: postures and motions
adults
bound
crime and punishment
landscape
male
man
nudes
people
reclining
rocky
society
<p>Although Richmond at one time described this drawing as by Blake, stylistically it is unlike his work. Richmond's attribution, probably made when he was an old man, therefore seems to be wrong. It is probably by Richmond himself. Blake's influence is most apparent in the choice of subject. The chained figure of a man recalls the figure of Orc in Blake's drawing 'Los and Orc' which once belonged to Richmond's friend John Linnell. It is now in the Tate collection. This drawing must date from about the time of Richmond's first meeting with Blake, at Linnell's house, in 1825. Richmond later said that conversing with Blake was like 'talking to the Prophet Isaiah'.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
paper unique ink watercolour
29 October 2024 – 30 September 2025
2025-09-30
30 October 2024 – 2 February 2025
2025-02-02
2024-10-30
Reggia di Venaria Reale (Turin, Italy)
1 September 2025 – 31 January 2026
2026-01-31
2025-09-01
Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest, Hungary)
1 March 2026 – 31 August 2026
2026-08-31
2026-03-01
External
2024-10-29
William Blake and the Age of Romantic Fantasy: British Art & Imagination
Loan-out
Fettered Nude Figure Reclining by a Rock
support: 233 × 340 mm
Presented by Mrs John Richmond 1922
<p>Although Richmond at one time described this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> as by Blake, stylistically it is unlike his work. Richmond's attribution, probably made when he was an old man, therefore seems to be wrong. It is probably by Richmond himself. Blake's influence is most apparent in the choice of subject. The chained figure of a man recalls the figure of Orc in Blake's drawing 'Los and Orc' which once belonged to Richmond's friend John Linnell. It is now in the Tate collection. This drawing must date from about the time of Richmond's first meeting with Blake, at Linnell's house, in 1825. Richmond later said that conversing with Blake was like 'talking to the Prophet Isaiah'.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-02T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/richmond-fettered-nude-figure-reclining-by-a-rock-a00838" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00838</span></a> <b>A Fettered Nude Figure Reclining by a Rock</b> <i>c.</i>1825</p>
<p></p>
<p>A 00838
<br/>Pen and wash 235×343 (9 1/4×13 1/2) Inscribed by George Richmond, ‘Drawn by W. Blake, GR’ b.r.
<br/>Presented by Mrs George Richmond 1922
<br/>PROVENANCE George Richmond, sold Christie's 29 April 1897 (in 147, with 22 other items, see <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-st-christopher-copy-from-an-engraving-verso-part-of-a-face-copy-from-a-plaster-cast-a00045" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00045</span></a>) £2.10.0 bt Dr. Richard Sisley; his daughter Mrs John Richmond.
<br/></p>
<p>Despite the inscription in George Richmond's own hand this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> is stylistically unlike anything known to be by Blake. The similarity of the figure in this drawing to that in Richmond's <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tempera" title="Glossary definition for 'Tempera'"><span>tempera</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> of 1825, ‘Abel the Shepherd’ in the Tate Gallery (<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/richmond-abel-the-shepherd-n05858" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N05858</span></a>) suggests some confusion in Richmond's mind arising from the fact that, according to Mrs Gilchrist, Blake ‘made a careful correction-drawing of the shepherd's arm in his pupil's [Richmond's] sketchbook’ (H.H. Gilchrist, <i>Anne Gilchrist: Her Life and Writings</i>, 1887, p.261; Bentley <i>Blake Records</i> 1969, pp.293 n.1). A number of Richmond's early drawings bear inscriptions and dates that seem to have been added by him very much later; in some cases alternative dates are given, demonstrating that he was working from memory, and this would seem to have been so, mistakenly, in this case.
<br/>
<br/>This work was formerly inventoried as no.3694 iii.</p>
<p>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Martin Butlin, <i>William Blake 1757-1827</i>, Tate Gallery Collections, V, London 1990
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<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-09-22T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: postures and motions adults bound crime and punishment landscape male man nudes people reclining rocky society