Agrippina designedly shipwrecked. A.R. 808. card

Agrippina designedly shipwrecked. A.R. 808.

Edward Francis Burney, 1807 - 1825 probably
WAG 7732

Currently not on display

Walker Art Gallery

Information

This is one of a group of drawings by British artist and book illustrator Edward Francis Burney, depicting scenes from Greek and Roman history and mythology. One of the inscriptions on the margin, March No. 3, seems to refer to the month in a calendar for which Burney created this frontispiece drawing. He executed many headpieces of this kind for pocket calendars and memorandum books between 1796 to 1829. [See correspondence between Patricia Crown and Edward Morris, in the docket file] This drawing depicts Julia Agrippina, known as Agrippina the Younger (15 - 59 CE), being deliberately shipwrecked under the guise of an accident. The shipwreck was commanded by Emperor Nero, Agrippina's son, because of her opposition to his relationship with Poppaea Sabina. She survived by swimming ashore but was later put to death by Nero. The female attendant who is being attacked had pretended to be Agrippina in an attempt to save herself, ignorant of the plot to kill Agrippina.

Specifications

Accession number
WAG 7732
Collection type
Drawing or Watercolour - Drawing
Artist
Edward Francis Burney
Date made
1807 - 1825 probably
Materials
Ink; Wash; Paper; Pen
Measurements
Paper: 8.8 cm x 11.5 cm; Image: 2.6 cm x 6.1 cm
Credit line
Presented to the Walker Art Gallery by the Bebington Corporation in 1971
Legal status
Permanent collection
Provenance
Joseph Mayer, Previous owner, Possibly the group sold at Sotheby's on 21-24 July…
Location
Item not currently on display
Inscription
Inscription, Ink, Base; Centre; Front; Below the image, on the margin: Agrippina…