Monument to Agnes Cromwell (?) c. 1798 - 1800

John Flaxman created this graphite drawing, "Monument to Agnes Cromwell (?), sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Flaxman was a British sculptor and designer, who worked in the Neoclassical style. This drawing gives us insight into the visual language of mourning and remembrance in late 18th-century Britain, particularly within the context of funerary monuments. The scene shows figures in classical drapery, arranged around a tomb or monument. In Britain at the time, death and mourning were highly ritualized, and funerary art played a crucial role in expressing grief, commemorating the deceased, and reinforcing social status. The Neoclassical style, with its emphasis on simplicity, restraint, and classical motifs, was closely associated with civic virtue and moral rectitude. By studying these drawings alongside other cultural artifacts—personal letters, mourning jewelry, and literary sources—we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between art, society, and emotion in 18th- and 19th-century Britain.