Pyramus and Thisbe - Pyramus Draws His Sword to Slay Himself1865 – 1866 Accession number: 1927P592 Brown ink and brown wash over pencil on cream toned paper. Width: 240 mm Height: 316 mm InformationPyramus and Thisbe were Babylonian lovers in Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' (IV, 55-465), as well as Chaucer's 'Legend of Good Women' and were retold again in Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. This drawing along with one of Thisbe are described as being for tiles in the 1935 Birmingham catalogue. They appear far too detailed to be used as such and are not divided by a grid to show individual tiles as are other well-developed designs. The physiognomy of both Pyramus and Thisbe in the drawing are closely related to facial studies Burne-Jones made of Maria Zambaco in 1866 and 1867, so this drawing may date to as late as 1868. He later employed her facial features in the 1872-76 'Pyramus and Thisbe' triptych (now in the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Birkenhead). Additionally, the verso is most likely a compositional sketch for the St. George series of drawings and paintings, executed contemporaneouslly with the Pyramus on the recto. This sketch probably is for the third panel in the series, 'The Princess draws the fatal Lot', as it closely resembles both the finished pencil drawing (1865-66, now in the British Museum) as well as the oil painting (1866-67, now in Hanover College, Indiana, USA).
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