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Published September 2010 | Published
Journal Article Open

Hooke's figurations: a figural drawing attributed to Robert Hooke

Abstract

The experimental philosopher Robert Hooke (1635–1703) is known to have apprenticed to the leading painter Peter Lely on his first arrival in London in the late 1640s. Yet the relevance of Hooke's artistic training to his mature draughtsmanship and identity has remained unclear. Shedding light on that larger interpretive problem, this article argues for the attribution to Hooke of a figural drawing now in Tate Britain (T10678). This attributed drawing is especially interesting because it depicts human subjects and bears Hooke's name functioning as an artistic signature, both highly unusual features for his draughtsmanship. From evidence of how this drawing was collected and physically placed alongside images by leading artists in the early eighteenth century, I suggest how it can offer new insight into the reception of Hooke and his graphic work in the early Enlightenment.

Additional Information

© 2010 The Royal Society. Published online 24 March 2010. I thank Michael Hunter, Felicity Henderson, Francesco Lucchini, Katie Scott and two anonymous referees for their comments on this article.

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