The Construction of the Temple by Walter Crane, ink, pen and brush drawing on paper. Restoration of a tear on the upper part of the sheet.
Walter Crane was a major artist of the second half of the 19th century and one of the main players in the Arts & Crafts movement. His work is heterogeneous, encompassing illustration, wallpaper, painting, ceramics and tapestry.
His work is emblematic and recognizable, driven by an ideal of social justice and beauty.
The work we present depicts Hiram, the mythical architect of Solomon's Temple, supervising its construction. Although Walter Crane's membership of Freemasonry is not attested, the subject is that of the Legend of Hiram and borrows heavily from Masonic vocabulary: the three workers represent the three initiation grades (apprentice, worker and master). Behind them, the three taunting faces are those of the criminal workers, impatient to know the master's secret, who will beat him to death if he refuses to deliver it.
