Study of the head of a bearded man for 'An Audience in Athens During Agamemnon by Aeschylus'

The present drawing is a study for an Athenian spectator centre right in Blake Richmond's oil painting An Audience in Athens During Agamemnon by Aeschylus, 1884 (Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, inv. 1887P943), a typical example of the artist's interest in Antiquity. Agamemnon was the first part of the Oresteia trilogy, and tells the story of the Greek King's return home from Troy, where he is greeted by his wife, Clytemnestra, who seeks revenge for the sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia. Focusing on the audience and their reaction to the dramatic tragedy, Blake Richmond portrayed a range of emotions, from shock and surprise to melancholy, with the present study capturing the latter.