Bust of a Youth n.d.

Rev. Matthew William Peters sketched this Bust of a Youth with red chalk sometime in the late 18th century. The artwork reflects the cultural fascination with classical antiquity, specifically with idealized representations of male beauty. Peters was, unusually, both a clergyman and a painter in England. The institutions of both church and art in England at this time were shaped by the aristocratic system of patronage. But Peters’s work also hints at the social and political upheavals of the period, such as the French Revolution and the rise of new ideas about individual liberty and expression. It is useful to note that while the artist gained royal appointment as Chaplain to the Royal Family, his style was later criticized as indecent. By examining the cultural and institutional contexts in which Peters worked, including the history of British art academies, we can better understand the complex social forces that shaped this drawing.