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Drawing a Silhouette

Geikie, Walter, Etching
Drawing a Silhouette
Drawing a Silhouette
Drawing a Silhouette
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Category
Museums & Galleries Item
Item no
31580
Title
Drawing a Silhouette
Description
The theme of adults admiring the artwork of children features repeatedly in Geikie's work. Here, two men look on appreciatively as a boy draws a second child's profile on the wall.

The subject relates loosely to the neoclassical motif 'the origin of painting', which was based on a legend retold by Pliny the Elder. The Roman author described the tale of a Corinthian girl who traced her lover's silhouette on a wall before he left for battle. This scene was portrayed faithfully by the Scottish artist David Allan in his oil painting The Origin of Painting (1775).

Geikie alludes to this tradition in his own etching, but gives it an everyday context. A humorous note is added by the serious expression and rigid pose of the child who models for the picture, as his chin is held firmly in place.
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Location
City Art Centre