Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by James, Sir Thornhill in 1750.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

Untitled

Untitled is a drawing by James, Sir Thornhill. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

James Thornhill’s drawing records two liturgical objects from Pembroke College’s silver collection: the mitre once worn by Bishop Matthew Wren of Ely and the so‑called Anathema Cup. Executed as a careful study, the work presents the two items side by side on a light‑toned paper, allowing their forms and decorative details to be examined in isolation.

Subject & Meaning

The mitre, a ceremonial headdress, is rendered with its characteristic pointed peaks, a central cross, and hanging lappets, while the cup displays a broad bowl set upon a slender stem. By depicting these ecclesiastical pieces together, Thornhill highlights their ceremonial function and the wealth of silverware associated with the college’s historic religious patronage.

Technique & Style

Thornhill employs fine hatching and cross‑hatching to convey the reflective quality of silver, creating a sense of volume and surface texture. The drawing’s restrained palette of graphite on beige‑toned paper emphasizes line work over colour, while subtle shading models the curvature of the mitre’s arches and the cup’s rounded basin.

History & Provenance

The drawing is attributed to James Thornhill, an English painter and draughtsman active in the early eighteenth century. It records objects that belong to Pembroke College, Cambridge, linking the work to the college’s documented plate collection, which includes the mitre of Bishop Wren and the Anathema Cup acquired in the seventeenth century.

Context

Thornhill’s study reflects a broader eighteenth‑century interest in documenting and cataloguing ecclesiastical silver. Such drawings served both as reference material for artists and as records for institutions seeking to inventory valuable liturgical assets, especially in an era when detailed written inventories were often supplemented by visual documentation.