One of the greatest British narrative painters of the 19th century, a small selection of his best from Eris picking a golden apple in 1806 to the slaveship of 1840.
narrative
A Roman hero, intended to be consul, is banished because he wouldn’t get on with common people. When he can defeat Rome, who can stop him?
Are the two arms fending others off, raised in shock, surrender, or falling to earth? From light comedy to accounts of executions and war crimes.
The meaning of one arm raised depends on the position of the fingers: is it an index finger pointing to heaven, or a sign of benediction?
Trained at the Royal Academy Schools only ten years after they had opened, he has become one of the most important and original British visual artists.
An intricate tragicomedy culminating in a complex series of revelations. Although never popular, some interesting paintings.
Why is the Virgin Mary standing on a snake with a part-eaten apple in its mouth? And which painting of her was banned from display in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome?
Snakes and serpents in myth, legend and religion are thoroughly sinister and bad, with one curious exception. A journey across centuries of images.
For 20 years, Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery tried to establish an English School of History Painting. Or was it just a ploy to make money from prints?
Thought to be his first play, it hasn’t been painted much, but those who have are notable, including William Holman Hunt’s masterpiece.
The Eclectic Light Company 