Study of a nude female figure for ‘Diana and Endymion 

Edward John Poynter made this charcoal study of a nude female figure for his painting ‘Diana and Endymion’, at some point during his career as a celebrated painter of the late 19th century. Here we see a classical subject treated in a way that was popular in Victorian Britain. While on the surface, this drawing appears traditional, focusing on mythological themes, it is important to understand the art institutions that shaped Poynter's career. As a president of the Royal Academy, and director of the National Art Training School, he occupied a central position in the Victorian art world. These institutions promoted particular ideas about beauty, taste, and the purpose of art, often reinforcing social hierarchies and norms. The Victorian era was one in which many artists sought to produce morally uplifting and edifying images and Poynter sat right at the heart of this machine. By situating Poynter’s art within the institutions that promoted and sustained it, we can develop a richer understanding of Victorian visual culture.