Sabrina

Henry Howard's Sabrina from around 1821 depicts the water nymph from John Milton's masque Comus, a subject that combined classical mythology with England's greatest literary tradition. Howard, who served as Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy, specialized in mythological and literary subjects that demonstrated the classical ideals he taught. His treatments of Miltonic subjects reflect the continued vitality of the Grand Manner tradition in English painting.

Howard's oil-on-canvas technique demonstrates the smooth, idealized figure painting of the British academic tradition with classical composition and restrained coloring. The graceful, Neoclassical treatment of the nymph figure reflects his commitment to the ideal beauty promoted by the Royal Academy.