Box
March 1914 to August 1914 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This small cube-shaped box was painted by Wyndham Lewis after he had left the Omega Workshop and founded the Rebel Art Centre. The painted design of trapezoids, right-angled lines, and solid planes of colour, emphasises and enhances the cubic form of the box.
The Omega Workshops were opened by the artist Roger Fry in London in 1913. As a promoter of decorative arts, Fry wanted to remove the perceived divide between fine and decorative arts. While some Omega furniture was specially designed, some of it was pre-existing second-hand furniture purchased at auction, painted and resold. Lewis disagreed with this, arguing that 'painted furniture' should show a harmonious relationship between the piece and its applied decoration. This box illustrates the principle. Lewis considered that Omega furniture was simply furniture that had paint applied.
The Omega Workshops were opened by the artist Roger Fry in London in 1913. As a promoter of decorative arts, Fry wanted to remove the perceived divide between fine and decorative arts. While some Omega furniture was specially designed, some of it was pre-existing second-hand furniture purchased at auction, painted and resold. Lewis disagreed with this, arguing that 'painted furniture' should show a harmonious relationship between the piece and its applied decoration. This box illustrates the principle. Lewis considered that Omega furniture was simply furniture that had paint applied.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | painted softwood |
| Brief description | Cube shaped box, painted softwood, Wyndham Lewis. ca. 1914 |
| Physical description | Cube-shaped softwood box painted in red, black , ochre and cream. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unique |
| Historical context | Lewis and several other artists left Omega to found the Rebel Art Centre in March 1914, which closed when the First World War broke out in August 1914. The Omega Workshops, founded by Roger Fry in 1913, lasted until 1919. |
| Summary | This small cube-shaped box was painted by Wyndham Lewis after he had left the Omega Workshop and founded the Rebel Art Centre. The painted design of trapezoids, right-angled lines, and solid planes of colour, emphasises and enhances the cubic form of the box. The Omega Workshops were opened by the artist Roger Fry in London in 1913. As a promoter of decorative arts, Fry wanted to remove the perceived divide between fine and decorative arts. While some Omega furniture was specially designed, some of it was pre-existing second-hand furniture purchased at auction, painted and resold. Lewis disagreed with this, arguing that 'painted furniture' should show a harmonious relationship between the piece and its applied decoration. This box illustrates the principle. Lewis considered that Omega furniture was simply furniture that had paint applied. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.37-1983 |
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| Record created | December 21, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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