Psyche Giving Her Coin to Charon 1796

Henry Tresham created this drawing titled "Psyche Giving Her Coin to Charon" sometime between 1751 and 1814 using pen and brown ink with gray wash on laid paper. Immediately, our eyes are drawn to the contrasting figures of Psyche and Charon. The artist masterfully uses line and wash to create a sense of depth and drama. Notice how Tresham employs a relatively muted palette, relying on shades of brown and gray. This choice heightens the somber mood of the scene, a transaction for passage into the underworld. The figures themselves are studies in contrast: Psyche, rendered with delicate lines, her flowing drapery adding to her ethereal quality, while Charon appears robust, his muscular form and wild hair conveying his rugged occupation as ferryman of the dead. Consider how Tresham's drawing engages with the themes of classical mythology and the representation of human form, reflecting both the artistic and philosophical concerns of his time. It is a work of remarkable intensity.