The Faun Of The Gold Tiberius

Frederick Ilbery LYNCH (Colchester 1886-1951 Pinner) The Faun of the Gold Tiberius circa 1895 pen and black ink 27.3 x 16 cm signed 'I. L' in the center Frederick Ilbery Lynch was a British illustrator active mainly between 1905 and 1925. Born in Colchester, he first came to public attention in 1909 with Just Published, a drawing in homage to Aubrey Beardsley and Robert Ross, now in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum. His style was characterized by refined ink drawings, often influenced by Symbolism and Art Nouveau. He was later introduced to the publisher Grant Richards and appears to have worked exclusively for him, illustrating, among others, The Transmutation of Ling (1911) by Ernest Bramah, Five Plays (1914) by Lord Dunsany and Bird of Paradise (1914) by Ada Leverson. He had a solo exhibition at the Fine Art Society in 1913. His portrait of Oscar Wilde is in the Clark Library collection. This highlights his commitment to depicting literary and cultural figures of his time. Among his notable works is our drawing, The Faun of the Gold Tiberius, an illustration for a reprint (1910) of Arthur Machen's 1895 The Three Impostors / Adventure of the Gold Tiberius. Done in pen and ink on paper, it demonstrates his interest in mythological themes and detailed compositions, which unmistakably suggest the sulphurous lifestyle of the Romans at that time. Here we find the faun depicted on a coin minted during the reign of Tiberius, found by the two protagonists and referring to a 'vile excess' of the emperor.