The Fatal Bellman by George Richmond, RA 1809-1896

The Fatal Bellman

George Richmond, RA 1809-1896

1827

Engraving, printed in black ink on india paper, with margins, mounted on a backing

2 5/8 x 1 7/8 inches (6.8 x 4.8 cm)

Provenance: The Artist's family and by descent.

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This intense miniature engraving was made when the artist was 18 years old and intoxicated by the teachings of Blake. Like the other 'Ancients', Samuel Palmer and Edward Calvert, Richmond was absorbed in study and admiration of the classics and the great artists and writers of the past. A quotation from Macbeth is engraved at the top of the plate "It was the owl that shriek'd, the fatal bell-man," Act II scene ii line 4. The image is not an illustration: Richmond has used the line as an introduction to his own interpretation, in which the powerful figure of Macbeth holds a sword and looks over his shoulder at the owl. Behind him lie a severed head and a cloak. The scene is set outside the castle, which can be seen in the distance above a pastoral landscape. This work has also been known as the Murderer and The Robber. — The Fine Art Society Story. Part I

References

The Fine Art Society Story. Part I. London: The Fine Art Society, 2001. Catalogue Number 122.

Lister, Raymond. George Richmond. 1981 pp. 121-22, 125.

Last modified 20 December 2001