Study for Pilgrim's Progress (?) 

John Flaxman created this sketch, likely as a study for "Pilgrim's Progress," with a graphite on paper. It presents an allegorical journey through life. The central figure is a pilgrim, burdened and armored, departing a gathering of women, perhaps representing worldly temptations or spiritual guides. A smaller figure stands hunched in despair, embodying human frailty. Note the gesture of pointing, an age-old motif seen across cultures. In classical art, it directs focus; in religious contexts, it signifies divine guidance or judgment. The act of pointing also reminds us of the hand of Saint John the Baptist in Renaissance art, and how such symbols are never truly new but echoes of what came before. Flaxman’s figures elicit profound emotional responses because they tap into our collective memory, using the archetypal image of the journey to resonate with our deepest longings and anxieties. This visual vocabulary of symbols transcends time and space, echoing through the ages, constantly evolving.