Studies of a Sickbed and Decorations for the Façade of Buckingham Palace [recto and verso] 1820 - 1826

John Flaxman created these Sketches of a Sickbed and Decorations for the Façade of Buckingham Palace in the late 18th or early 19th century. We see motifs of mourning and royal iconography, each laden with complex emotional and historical resonance. Consider the image of the sickbed. This motif echoes through centuries, appearing in depictions of the Virgin Mary grieving over Christ or even earlier, in ancient death rituals. The gestures of grief, the bowed heads, and the supportive hands carry an emotional weight. These motifs are not merely aesthetic choices; they tap into collective memory and a shared understanding of mortality and compassion. Even the designs for Buckingham Palace, with their aspirations of power and permanence, remind us of earlier attempts to solidify power through monuments. The cyclical nature of history echoes in these images. The past informs the present, and the emotional power of these symbols continues to resonate.