xvn Wedgwood and Flaxman 205 



with her babe, from the waves, and ascending into 

 heaven. "The effect," says Allan Cunningham, "is 

 inexpressibly touching; it elevates the mind, and not 

 without tears." Another of his monuments was in 

 memory of Miss Cromwell, in illustration of the passage 

 " Come, ye blessed." 



Of a very different character was the group of Venus 

 and Cupid, which he executed for his early patron, Mr. 

 Knight of Portland Place. Flaxman preferred it to his 

 monumental figures. Besides these works of sculpture 

 were his numerous drawings, mostly after the antique, 

 a large collection of which is still carefully preserved 

 at the University College, Gower Street. 



It is believed that Flaxman, before his marriage, 

 visited Wedgwood at Etruria. The room is still shown 

 in which he did his work. In one of Wedgwood's 

 letters to Bentley, dated from Etruria (1st July 1778), 

 Wedgwood says : " Mr. Flaxman called to tell me that 

 he was modelling a bas-relief of Lord Chatham in order 

 to sell copies in wax. I told him that we should be 

 glad of a cast, and he knew what we should make of it. 

 I do not know what he means to charge other people, 

 but you know we are to pay a price below casts and 

 models." 



During the year 1779, on Flaxman's return to 

 London, he was engaged upon some of his most 

 beautiful models, such as his Boys and Goat, his 

 Triumph of Ariadne, his Homer and Hesiod, his Offering 

 to Flora, and his Bacchanalian Sacrifices for a chimney- 



