Study for ‘Idle Fears’ 

Edward John Poynter made this drawing, a study for ‘Idle Fears’ in the late nineteenth century, using chalk on toned paper. Poynter was part of a generation of British artists who looked to the classical world for inspiration, as you can see here. However, the Victorians had a particular relationship with the art of classical antiquity. On the one hand, idealized forms and mythological subject matter were considered ennobling. On the other, the frank sensuality of classical art had to be managed and tamed in order to be made acceptable for public display. In particular, the nude was only justified if it could be made to serve some moral or educational purpose. By producing preparatory drawings like this one, and by exhibiting them, artists like Poynter allowed the public into the artistic process, showing how the nude figure could be studied and perfected in the studio without giving rise to ‘idle fears’. Historical resources, such as exhibition reviews, provide insight into the social function of such drawings in their time.