Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Maria Cosway. It dates from 1784 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This 1784 drawing by Maria Cosway is a pen and wash work featuring three figures in a tense, dynamic pose. The artist's loose, expressive strokes convey a sense of urgency and emotional intensity.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a semi-nude figure kneeling, restrained by another, possibly representing Prometheus chained to a rock. The composition blends classical idealism with dramatic tension, drawing on mythological imagery.
Technique & Style
Cosway employed flowing lines and layered strokes to capture movement and emotion. The use of cross-hatching builds up shadows, adding depth to the figures. The style is reminiscent of Henry Fuseli and John Flaxman, known for their expressive mythological imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Maria Cosway made delicate drawings of faces and figures in the late 1700s, working mostly in pencil and chalk.
Hercules, in his death throes, hurling Lichas into the sea
Warrior Seizing a Kneeling Figure
The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew
Entellus and Dares
Apollo Flaying Marsyas (recto)
The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew
Unidentified design, sculpture
Moses Striking a Shepherd
Mercury Killing Argus
The Baptism of Christ
Odysseus and Teiresias
Seven Men in Antique Dress