1715
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Three preparatory studies for the Burning of the Books at Ephesus is a 1715 by James Thornhill, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
These are three ink studies by Thornhill for the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. They show the burning of books at Ephesus, one of the stories painted around the dome’s rim. Thornhill drew these quickly in pencil, then went over them in pen. Baroque artists loved big dramatic scenes like this. Thornhill’s sketches capture the chaos of flames and figures without extra fuss. Have a look at the technique called cross-hatching next.
Three preparatory drawings in pencil with pen and ink overdrawing depict the burning of the books at Ephesus, intended as studies for one of the ten monochrome illusionistic lunettes illustrating scenes from the Acts of the Apostles in the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral. Executed by Sir James Thornhill between 1715 and 1717, the designs form part of his dome decoration commissioned for £6,575 under stipulations that the scenes appear as sculptural relief. The Ephesus episode, the sixth in the series, illustrates Acts 19:1–19. The sheets were purchased from J.J. Hickie in 1906.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Sir James Thornhill was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition.
See the richer artist page
