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King René's Honeymoon
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, born 1828 - died 1882 - Enlarge image
King René's Honeymoon; Music
- Object:
Panel
- Place of origin:
London, England (made)
- Date:
ca. 1863 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, born 1828 - died 1882 (designer)
Morris & Co. (maker) - Materials and Techniques:
Stained and painted glass
- Museum number:
CIRC.519-1953
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Object Type
Though stained glass had been employed in domestic settings since Medieval times, by the 19th century its use was mainly limited to churches. Morris & Co. were instrumental in reintroducing the medium to the home. This panel comes from Myles Birket Foster's library window.
Places
In 1861 the artist Myles Birket Foster (1825-1899) embarked upon the building of his Surrey home, 'The Hill', in Whitley. He chose the recently established firm of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., who promoted functionalism in design and high standards of craftsmanship, to design its interior.
People
This panel, entitled 'Music', comes from the King René's Honeymoon series, which featured in Foster's library. It was made from a design by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882). Though perhaps the most distinguished of the artists called upon when William Morris (1834-1896) set up his stained-glass studio, Rossetti's contribution of cartoons was not very large. His interest in stained glass seems to have dwindled considerably after 1864.
Materials & Making
Rossetti's understanding of the special requirements when designing for stained glass was limited. Most of his figural compositions were too complex to work in the medium. Here the Queen's elaborate costume and the conjunction of the figures' heads must have posed considerable problems for the glass cutter. As a result, the panel seems clumsy and awkward, reflecting Rossetti's belief that 'anything will do for stained glass'.
