Diogenes throwing away his cup

Diogenes of Sinope (circa 412 B.C.-323 B.C) was a cynic philosopher who lived at Athens and Corinth. He led a dissolute existance until he met and became a follower of Antisthenes. He despised worldly possessions embraced an austere way of life, and is reputed to have made his home in a barrell. Several anecdotes concerning his way of life are recorded: for example his meeting with Alexander the Great, which Martin painted four times, in sepia wash, (now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), watercolour, (one in the Victoria and Albert Museum) and oil. This subject matter was also engraved by E. Finden for The Literary Souvenir, London, 1827, and Friendship's Offering, London, 1827. The Greek biographer Diogenes Lartius describes how Alexander visited Diogenes, who was basking in the sun, and invited him to ask any favour he wished. Diogenes simply asked him to stand aside as he was blocking out the sun. The episode depicted in the present watercolour shows Diogenes throwing away his drinking cup after seeing a child drinking from his cupped hands.
The Haldimand collection was formed between 1826 and 1828, when the artist, George Fennel Robson, was commissioned by Mrs George Haldimand 'to form a representative album of drawings by the best water-colour painters of the day'. The drawings, mounted in albums were sold by Christie's London, to Agnew's in 1861, and were exhibited at the Vokins gallery in 1883. The collection was purchased in its entirety at this date and remained in the same family until the sale in 1980.

We are grateful to Martin Campbell for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.