Acis and Galatea 1708

William Kent created this drawing of Acis and Galatea with pen and brown ink in the 18th century. Kent was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer. In other words, he was deeply embedded in the institutions that shaped British cultural life at the time. The story of Acis and Galatea, a popular subject in art, comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses. It tells of the love between a sea nymph, Galatea, and a mortal shepherd, Acis. Here, Kent is showing the idealized love scene. The style of the drawing, the mythological subject, and the classical references are all part of a cultural project that took place in England at this time. It was all part of an attempt to create a new, British, Imperial identity, inspired by ancient Rome. To understand this work better, we might look at the history of British architecture, the history of publishing, and the history of the British Empire. By placing it in its historical context, we can better understand the meaning of this drawing.