Design for a temporary arch ornamented with putti and allegorical figures of music and war

Jones, Inigo (1573-1652)

Item type:

drawing

Date of creation:

ca. 1622

Height:

24.1 cm  (9 1/2 in.)

Width:

17.1 cm  (6 3/4 in.)

Technique / Medium:

pen and brown ink and brown wash; verso: graphite on medium, slightly textured, cream laid paper

Description

Design for a masque or theatrical performance; it features two full-length adult figures on pedestals beneath an archway with putti and decorative flourishes; the female figure holds a musical instrument, and male figure holds a long staff or spear and shield. ---- CURATORIAL COMMENT FROM MUSEUM WEBSITE:
Inigo Jones had been designing scenery and costumes for masques at the Stuart court since 1605. This design for an arch has been related to the Masque of Augurs (1622), produced by Jones with the playwright Ben Jonson and the very first masque to be performed in the new Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace, itself designed by Jones. Here the allegorical figures are probably intended for Wisdom (right) and Poetry (left).
--Matthew Hargraves, 2011

Iconclass

48C811
stage design
48C166
surface decorations ~ architecture
43A423
other decorative structures (~ triumphal entry, etc.)
92D1916
cupids: 'amores', 'amoretti', 'putti'
48C751
one person with musical instrument, not playing
48C803
symbolic representations, allegories and emblems ~ musical drama

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Viola da gamba [3604]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

Bibliographic references

Matthew Hargraves on Peter Paul Rubens's Peace Embracing Plenty [with connection to archway by Inigo Jones] January 20, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKoHvse6Ud0

Notes

Watermarks: Arms & Baden Hockberg (Churchill 267a)

RIdIM record id

6303