Three Struggling Figures
Figure Group
ca. 1844 (made)
ca. 1844 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is group of three struggling figures, cast in plaster from a sketch by Alfred Stevens (1817-1875). The subject has not been identified, though the following titles have been suggested: the Rape of Deianeira, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Judgement of Solomon.
A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens (1817/18-1875) rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement.
The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument.
A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens (1817/18-1875) rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement.
The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Three Struggling Figures (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster |
| Brief description | Group, plaster cast, of three struggling figures, from a sketch by Alfred Stevens, English, ca. 1844 |
| Physical description | A group of three struggling figures |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Given by Charles Ricketts, Lansdowne House, Lansdowne Road, Holland Park, London in 1912, together with Mus. no. A.19-1912. Transferred to the Tate Gallery in 1952, returned to the V&A in 1975. |
| Summary | This is group of three struggling figures, cast in plaster from a sketch by Alfred Stevens (1817-1875). The subject has not been identified, though the following titles have been suggested: the Rape of Deianeira, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Judgement of Solomon. A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens (1817/18-1875) rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement. The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bilbey, Diane and Marjorie Trusted. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000: A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London: V&A Publications, 2002, pp. 400-401, cat. no. 648 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.19-1912 |
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| Record created | January 20, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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