Studies for a Monument with the Crowning of a Figure [recto and verso] 

This is a sketch by John Flaxman, titled "Studies for a Monument with the Crowning of a Figure". Here, we observe the act of crowning, a motif deeply rooted in human history, signifying the conferral of power. This gesture transcends mere authority; it speaks to the elevation of an individual, almost to the point of deification. Recall the Roman emperors, their heads adorned with laurel wreaths, symbols of victory and divine favor, or the later Christian iconography of saints crowned by angels. The crowning motif is a potent symbol of a society's aspiration for order, reverence, and the cyclical renewal of leadership. In this drawing, the act of crowning is a symbolic moment with roots stretching back through antiquity, and continuing to evolve in meaning as it resurfaces across cultures and epochs.