Snails [recto and verso] 

This small drawing of snails was made by John Flaxman, probably in the late 18th or early 19th century, using graphite on paper. The thin lines of graphite create a delicate rendering of the snail, emphasizing the contrast between the snail's soft body and its hard shell. Flaxman was a well-known sculptor and designer, who also produced many drawings like this one. It is a humble drawing, yet it shares qualities with the kind of neoclassical forms that Flaxman favored for his more high-minded commissions, like the Wedgwood ceramics he famously designed. The drawing has an immediacy that invites us to think about the artist's hand, and the simple materials he used to create this image. Even in such a small work, we can see the artist's skill, and the care he took in observing and representing the natural world. It reminds us that even the most common materials, like graphite and paper, can be used to create works of great beauty and significance.