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Description: | This painting is one of a set of six (four of which are housed in Saffron Walden Museum) produced by Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727-1785) for the now destroyed Adam Library at Audley End (a detailed drawing of about 1781 by Placido Colombani, one of a set recording all the rooms refurbished by Adam there, shows its original appearance). These paintings which are executed in grisaille in imitation of antique stone reliefs were to be placed high on the walls above the pedimented bookcases. Their subjects compliment the idea of the library as a 'temple of learning' thus Religion, Science and the Arts and several triumphs of symbolic divinities are represented. These panels were the single most expensive items commissioned by Sir John Griffin Griffin, they cost £315 in 1771, double what he paid for three portraits by Benjamin West also in the library. It is therefore clear that they were conceived as 'fine art' as opposed to 'decorative art'.The present painting is described in the Audley End inventory of pictures of 1797 as follows: 'The first painting on the south side of the Chimney represents a Sacrifice to Jupiter, a priest throwing the Water on the Sacred fire, the Sacrificer with the Ram intended to be sacrificed, a boy holding a box of incense, another with the Musical instrument and several Attendants carrying various offerings, this is intended to Represent Religion'. Cipriani's image not only projects an all'antica appearance, but the diversity of offerings brought by the attendants serves to draw our attention to the natural life cycle on which ancient religion was based. | Subjects: | mythology | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Cipriani, Giovanni Battista (Italian painter, draftsman, and designer, 1727-1785, active in England) Æ | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8736... | Go to resource |
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