Lot Essay
According to Miss Moore's inscription in the album this drawing was 'Given to me by Mr Jones'. Mr Jones can possibly be identified with the John Jones (born 1792) who was recommended by Fuseli to Sir
ohn Soane for admission to the Royal Academy Schools in a letter of 30 October 1813 (Weinglass 1982, p. 396). Alternatively he could be the James Jones who witnessed Fuseli's will on 7 September 1825 (Weinglass 1982, p. 542), or the painter George Jones R.A. (1786-1834), a number of whose works were included in the album of drawings and engravings by various artists assembled by Miss Moore and sold at Christie's on 6 March 1973 (see lots 23, 26-7 and 29). This drawing seems to be the first of three known versions. Of the two others, both in the British Museum, the closest and better comes from the Roman Album (1885-3-14-208; S. 457a as of c. 1774) and is also in pen but with grey and pink washes, measuring 9 7/8 x 15¼in. (252 x 386mm.) Unlike lot ... the paper is unfolded and the drawing is slightly more finished and disciplined. There is more space above the central witch's head and the armed head looks slightly upwards. All this suggests that the British Museum drawing was drawn after lot ... using it as a sketch. The second version in the British Museum (1862-11-8-140; S. 457) is distinctly inferior. It is in pencil and wash on oiled paper and there is a framing line around the composition. This suggests a replica or student's copy. There is a version of the composition in oils at Stratford-on-Avon, dated by Schiff to c. 1774-9 (S.363); an oil of this subject exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1811 is now untraced.
This is an illustration to Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act IV, scene i, the first apparition summoned up by the witches, which tells Macbeth to 'beware Macduff,/Beware the thane of Fife'
ohn Soane for admission to the Royal Academy Schools in a letter of 30 October 1813 (Weinglass 1982, p. 396). Alternatively he could be the James Jones who witnessed Fuseli's will on 7 September 1825 (Weinglass 1982, p. 542), or the painter George Jones R.A. (1786-1834), a number of whose works were included in the album of drawings and engravings by various artists assembled by Miss Moore and sold at Christie's on 6 March 1973 (see lots 23, 26-7 and 29). This drawing seems to be the first of three known versions. Of the two others, both in the British Museum, the closest and better comes from the Roman Album (1885-3-14-208; S. 457a as of c. 1774) and is also in pen but with grey and pink washes, measuring 9 7/8 x 15¼in. (252 x 386mm.) Unlike lot ... the paper is unfolded and the drawing is slightly more finished and disciplined. There is more space above the central witch's head and the armed head looks slightly upwards. All this suggests that the British Museum drawing was drawn after lot ... using it as a sketch. The second version in the British Museum (1862-11-8-140; S. 457) is distinctly inferior. It is in pencil and wash on oiled paper and there is a framing line around the composition. This suggests a replica or student's copy. There is a version of the composition in oils at Stratford-on-Avon, dated by Schiff to c. 1774-9 (S.363); an oil of this subject exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1811 is now untraced.
This is an illustration to Shakespeare's Macbeth, Act IV, scene i, the first apparition summoned up by the witches, which tells Macbeth to 'beware Macduff,/Beware the thane of Fife'