The Good Harvest of 1854
Oil Painting
1854 (painted)
1854 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Collins was a friend of the Pre-Raphaelites and imitated the bright colour and detail of their pictures. The critic John Ruskin admired 'the careful painting in this little study'. The sheaf of corn symbolises bread. The ivy may allude to the wine used in Holy Communion, as it was sacred to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Good Harvest of 1854 (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | oil on canvas |
| Brief description | Oil painting, 'The Good Harvest of 1854', Charles Allston Collins, 1854 |
| Physical description | Oil painting |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'CA Collins 1854' (Signed and dated by the artist ['CAC' in monogram] diagonally, in red, lower right) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Rev. Chauncey Hare Townshend |
| Object history | Bequeathed by Rev. Chauncey Hare Townshend, 1868 |
| Historical context | The 1850s saw a number of bountiful harvests in Britain, following a series of disastrous harvests in the 'hungry forties'. This painting celebrates the magnificent harvest of 1854. Collins adds an extra dimension by painting the child holding a bound sheaf of wheat, both the traditional symbol of concord and the attribute of Ceres, classical goddess of agriculture and abundance. The ivy on the wall is the symbol of Bacchus, god of wine, so the artist may be referring to the Eucharist, the Christian sacrament of consuming bread and wine. Collins was one of the earliest friends of the Pre-Raphaelites, particularly Hunt and Millais, fellow-students in the 1840s at the Royal Academy. He was even proposed for membership of the Brotherhood itself. This picture was painted mainly in the summer of 1854 before he went to Scotland with Millais. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Collins was a friend of the Pre-Raphaelites and imitated the bright colour and detail of their pictures. The critic John Ruskin admired 'the careful painting in this little study'. The sheaf of corn symbolises bread. The ivy may allude to the wine used in Holy Communion, as it was sacred to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1394-1869 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
