Sketches of Seven Sculptures: The Four Seasons, Venus and Adonis, A Beggar, and Salmacis 1845 - 1855

This is a sketch made by John Gibson in the 19th century, capturing various sculptural figures. The figures in this study, ‘The Four Seasons, Venus and Adonis, A Beggar, and Salmacis’, are deeply rooted in classical antiquity, a period that has perpetually resurfaced in the Western imagination. Consider Venus, goddess of love, often depicted reclining; this pose echoes through time. We see her mirrored in countless works, from ancient Roman frescoes to Renaissance paintings like Titian's "Venus of Urbino." The gesture of reclining, a symbol of leisure and sensuality, transcends its immediate context, becoming a recurring motif. Such recurring gestures and poses tap into our collective memory, stirring subconscious associations, and reminding us that the past is never truly gone; it lives within the images that continue to captivate and influence us. This cyclical pattern highlights how cultural and emotional forces shape and reshape artistic expression across generations.