Illustration for the Poem ‘Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College’
date: label: Date
content: 1753
name: label: Author
content: Thomas Gray, British, 1716 – 1771
label: Artist
content: Richard Bentley, British, 1708 – 1782
label: Print Maker
content: Johann Sebastian Müller, German, ca. 1715 - 1792
label: Publisher
content: James Dodlsey, British, 1724 – 1797
notes: label: Catalogue Status
content: Research in Progress
label: Description
content: Full-page illustration for the poem ‘Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College’. A scene of naked boys playing in a landscape with buildings in the background. Five boys play with birds in cages, another is paying with a hoop in the background and two swim in a river in the foreground. In the far background a group of boys stand beneath a tree. In the foreground, a male naked figure, the personification of water/river, leans on a jug of water spilling into the river, surrounded by reeds. Above the scene figures in the clouds with a skeleton. One has wings, the others are blindfolded or hide their eyes, holding weapons and a snake. The scene is framed by herms on either side. To the right, the figure of Medusa holding a flaming torch. To the left, a male figure looking down, with a snake tied around his chest. Below each herm, a lyre, and a palette with paint brushes. In the lower center, a trophy of flowers, a snake, dagger, hoop, and a ribbon with lettering. The upper section of the border is draped with fabric with a central mascaron, with flowers, branches, books, a candle and two burning vases.
place: label: made in
content: England
label: published in
content: London, United Kingdom
setName: label: See more items in
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
label: See more items in
content: Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 1921-6-550-8
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Bound print
label: Type
content: Bound print
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Etching on laid paper
label: Dimensions
content: Sheet: 37.3 × 26.5 cm (14 11/16 × 10 7/16 in.)
label: Dimensions
content: Platemark: 29.3 × 21 cm (11 9/16 × 8 1/4 in.)
label: Dimensions
content: Image: 26.5 × 19 cm (10 7/16 × 7 1/2 in.)