Design for a Monument to the Three Wives of the First Earl of Guilford, at Wroxton, Oxfordshire 1783

This 1783 design by Joseph Wilton, a renowned sculptor, envisions a monument dedicated to the three wives of the First Earl of Guilford. Composed of three marble panels with inscriptions, the central one being the largest, the design is surmounted by three urns, a traditional motif in funerary art. The drawing highlights the architectural details of the proposed monument, with intricate carvings and a stepped base. This design, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provides insight into Wilton's creative process and the artistic conventions of 18th-century funerary monuments.