Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D , Case DR, Shelf 101

November

Design
ca. 1869-1871 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Edward Poynter was a painter and a good draughtsman. The South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) commissioned him to provide designs for large figure panels and other decorations for the Dutch Kitchen or Grill Room (this is now called the Poynter Room). His lively drawing of the human figure gives a sense of life and movement to the conventional series of the Twelve Months. Students in the women's section of the School of Design at South Kensington painted the tile panels.

The Refreshment Rooms were opened during 1868. They consisted of three rooms: the central room, now known as the Gamble Room, which has a semi-circular northern side, following the plan of the Lecture Theatre above it; and a smaller, square room on either side, the Green Dining Room to the west and the Grill Room to the east. Poynter designed the whole of this last room, now known as the Poynter Room.

Poynter was Director of the National Art Training School and women artists from the school painted his designs onto blank tiles supplied by Minton, the ceramic manufacturer. Henry Scott, a Royal Engineer officer employed on building the new Museum, compiled a list of the women he was employing as porcelain painters. They were Amy E. Black, Miss Walker, Miss Judd, Miss Earle, Miss Hall, Miss Cambridge, who were all paid at the rate of 6d an hour, except Amy Black who received 9d.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleNovember (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Drawing in pencil and watercolour on paper squared for transfer
Brief description
E. J. Poynter, design for 1 of 12 tile panels of the months in V&A Grill Room: 'November'. About 1869-1871.
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'NOVEMBER'
  • 'The festoons to [be the same] as for March.' (Would indicate that Poynter meant for the tile panel of 'November' in the Grill Room to be executed with festoon ornament like that shown in his highly finished design for the 'March' tile panel (Museum object number 7916:3). All twelve tile panels of the months in the Grill Room have festoon decoration.)
Object history
Poynter was invited to tender for the decoration of the V&A Grill Room in November 1865. Judging from the nineteenth Report of the Science and Art Department, the Grill Room's large tile panels, derived from designs including this one, were all installed by the end of 1871. The left-hand margin of this particular design contains four distinct sketches of figures, alone or in a group. The second sketch from the top down, showing a group of figures, can be identified as a study for the tile panel of 'Autumn' which Poynter designed for the Grill Room (for the corresponding, highly finished design, see Museum object number 7917:3). It is more difficult to identify the remaining sketches with absolute precision, but they are almost certainly studies for tile panels of the months or seasons which Poynter designed for the Grill Room.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Edward Poynter was a painter and a good draughtsman. The South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) commissioned him to provide designs for large figure panels and other decorations for the Dutch Kitchen or Grill Room (this is now called the Poynter Room). His lively drawing of the human figure gives a sense of life and movement to the conventional series of the Twelve Months. Students in the women's section of the School of Design at South Kensington painted the tile panels.

The Refreshment Rooms were opened during 1868. They consisted of three rooms: the central room, now known as the Gamble Room, which has a semi-circular northern side, following the plan of the Lecture Theatre above it; and a smaller, square room on either side, the Green Dining Room to the west and the Grill Room to the east. Poynter designed the whole of this last room, now known as the Poynter Room.

Poynter was Director of the National Art Training School and women artists from the school painted his designs onto blank tiles supplied by Minton, the ceramic manufacturer. Henry Scott, a Royal Engineer officer employed on building the new Museum, compiled a list of the women he was employing as porcelain painters. They were Amy E. Black, Miss Walker, Miss Judd, Miss Earle, Miss Hall, Miss Cambridge, who were all paid at the rate of 6d an hour, except Amy Black who received 9d.
Bibliographic references
  • Nineteenth Report of the Science and Art Department. London: printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1872, p. 388
  • Physick, John. The Victoria and Albert Museum: The History of Its Building. London: The Victoria & Albert Museum, 1982, pp. 139-141 and pls. XXVII-XXIX
  • Sheppard, F. H. W. (general ed.). Survey of London, vol. XXXVIII: The Museums Area of South Kensington and Westminster. London: Athlone Press, University of London, 1975, p. 111 and pl. 15
Collection
Accession number
7916:11

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest