Harpocrates (or Horus), God of Silence thumbnail 1
Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Harpocrates (or Horus), God of Silence

Drawing
ca. 1540-1609 (drawn)
Artist/Maker
Zuccaro, Federico (artist)
Place of origin
Italy (drawn)

Pen and ink and wash drawing heightened with white

Object details

Category
Drawings
Object type
Drawing
TitleHarpocrates (or Horus), God of Silence (published title)
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink and wash heightened with white
Pen and Ink
Wash
White Pigment
Paper
Drawing
Brief description
Drawing, Harpocrates (or Horus), god of silence, by Federico Zuccaro, Italian School, pen and ink and wash, ca. 1540-1609
Physical description
Pen and ink and wash drawing heightened with white
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 216mm
Style
Italian School
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
Inscribed in ink by the younger or elder Jonathan Richardson 'h. 36'
Object history
Padre Resta; Lord Somers (the inscription refers to a ms. in the British Museum which is a transcript of Resta’s notes on the drawings first in his and then in Lord Somer’s collection; see Popham, Resta; also Lugt 2981 and Lugt, Supplement, p. 419); bought 1876
Associated object
8091:1 (Set)
Bibliographic references
  • Ward-Jackson, Peter, Italian Drawings Volume I. 14th-16th century, London, 1979, cat. 419, p. 193, illus. The following is the full text of the entry: ZUCCARO, FEDERICO (c. 1540-1609) 419 Harpocrates (or Horus), god of silence Inscribed in ink by the younger or elder Jonathan Richardson ‘h. 36’ Pen and ink and wash heightened with white; circular 8 ½ (216) diameter 8091.2 PROVENANCE Padre Resta; Lord Somers (the inscription refers to a ms. in the British Museum which is a transcript of Resta’s notes on the drawings first in his and then in Lord Somer’s collection; see Popham, Resta; also Lugt 2981 and Lugt, Supplement, p. 419); bought 1876 LITERATURE J. A. Gere, Taddeo Zuccaro. His development studied in his drawings, 1969, p. 116 and p. 169, no. 115 There is a corresponding picture in the Sala di Aurora in the Farnese Palace at Caprarola. For the short account of the paintings there, see under no. 418, a companion drawing. Both drawings were attributed to Taddeo by Resta and connected with Caprarola. He correctly described the figure in no. 419 as ‘nume del Silenzio’, but the name of the god is illegible. Caro, as quoted by Vasari, calls him Arpocrate and asks the painter to represent him ‘col ditto alla bocca, in atto di domandare che si taccia’. Gere attributes the drawing to Federico. There is another version of the design in the Albertina (Albertina Catalogue, I, no. 216, as by Ligozzi).
  • Gere, J. A., Taddeo Zuccaro: His development studied in his drawings, 1969, p.116 and p.169, no.114
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
8091:2

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O819227/harpocrates-or-horus-god-of-drawing-zuccaro-federico/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest