Studies of Matilda Lowry: Seated; and Standing (illustrated)

The sitter for these two drawings could be the wife or some other relation of the engraver Wilson Lowry (1762-1824), who engraved a number of plates for Abraham Rees's The Cyclopedia, published in 1820. Flaxman had written an article on 'Basso Relievo', of which he sent copies to his patron William Hayley and to Prince Hoare, at the beginning of January 1804, the year after the date on this drawing (see G.E. Bentley, Jun., Blake Records, 1969, pp.138-9). Wilson Lowry himself was later the subject of a joint project of William Blake and John Linnell in the shape of an engraved portrait of 1824-5 (see R. Essick, The Separate Plates of William Blake, 1983, pp.201-8, no.XLIII, illustrated, pls.84-8).