Artwork

Structure with Figures in Asian Dress (Illustration for “The Casket”?)

Structure with Figures in Asian Dress (Illustration for “The Casket”?) is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist John Flaxman. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:in other hand, on verso in ink: John Flaxman Esq.r (sheet originally folded in thirds & addressed to Flaxman; orange sealing wax lLv)

About this work

Overview

John Flaxman, a leading English sculptor and draughtsman of the early nineteenth‑century Neoclassical movement, produced the graphite drawing Structure with Figures in Asian Dress (Illustration for “The Casket”?) circa 1812. The work presents a staged arrangement of several figures clothed in costumes that reference Asian dress, suggesting a narrative or decorative purpose linked to a printed publication.

Subject & Meaning

The composition gathers a small group of stylised figures whose clothing, characterised by flowing robes, turbans and ornamental accessories, evokes an exotic, non‑European setting. While the exact narrative is unclear, the title implies the drawing was intended as an illustration for a work called The Casket, perhaps serving as a visual accompaniment to a literary or decorative text.

Technique & Style

Executed in graphite on paper, the drawing displays Flaxman’s characteristic linear precision and restrained modelling. The crisp contours and minimal shading reflect his background in architectural and illustrative drawing, while the arrangement of the figures demonstrates a balanced, almost schematic composition typical of his neoclassical aesthetic.

History & Provenance

Created around 1812, the piece belongs to the period when Flaxman was active in both England and Rome, supplying designs for Josiah Wedgwood’s pottery and producing numerous book illustrations. The drawing’s later ownership history is not fully documented, but it aligns with Flaxman’s extensive output of preparatory studies for printed works and decorative projects.

Context

Flaxman’s career combined sculptural commissions, especially funerary monuments, with a prolific output of graphic designs for ceramics and publications. This drawing reflects his role as a visual interpreter for commercial and literary enterprises, illustrating how neoclassical artists incorporated exotic motifs to satisfy contemporary tastes for the picturesque and the foreign.