"Bottom sits in an arm-chair directed to the left, wearing spectacles on his ass's forehead. In his right hand is a piece of charcoal in a holder, in his left is a paper, which he is studying. Above his head is etched 'Apollo'. On the left stands a man looking over Bottom's shoulder, his fists clenched. Behind (right) two students (seated) draw from the antique, a nude male statue on a pedestal just above the level of their heads."--British Museum online catalogue
Description:
Title from caption below image, a line from a speech by the character Quince, from Shakespeare's A midsummer night's dream, iii.1.121., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Six lines of verse below title: "W_hen Phidias or Raph'el shall chuse to repair, I_ncog to our fine modern Artists' fam'd School, L_ost in wonder to see stuck in Genius's Chair T_he Block which now fills it) a formal old Fool. O_ ff again with this sneering Remark they will go, N_o marvel your Pupils old Friend are so so". JP.", and Initial letters of each line form word 'Wilton.'
Publisher:
Pubd. Jany 1, 1794, by S.W. Fores, No. 3 Piccadilly
Subject (Name):
Wilton, Joseph, 1722-1803, Richards, John Inigo, 1731-1810, Phidias, approximately 500 B.C.-approximately 430 B.C., Raphael, 1483-1520., Royal Academy of Arts (Great Britain), and Apollo (Deity)
Subject (Topic):
Artists' materials, Artists' models, and Sculptors
