Alcestis

Physical description

Portion of 'Alcestis' wallpaper frieze, depicting the figure of Alcestis, a princess from Greek mythology, as a caryatid standing alongside an atlas of the winged personification of Love, on a pale ground; Lettered within the design Y-THIS-YERE?-THE-LEAF-OR-THE-FLOWER?; Colour print from wood blocks, on paper.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (made)

Date

1876 (made)

Artist/maker

Crane, Walter (R.W.S.), born 1845 - died 1915 (designer)
Jeffrey (manufacturer)

Materials and Techniques

Colour woodblock print, on paper

Marks and inscriptions

ALCESTS / AMOR / Y-THIS-YERE?-THE-LEAF-OR-THE-FLOWER?

Dimensions

Height: 700 mm, Width: 505 mm

Object history note

Given by Mr Emslie John Horniman.

Descriptive line

Portion of 'Alcestis' wallpaper frieze, depicting the figure of Alcestis, a princess from Greek mythology, as a caryatid standing alongside an atlas of the winged personification of Love, on a pale ground; Designed by Walter Crane; Colour print from wood blocks, on paper; Produced by Jeffrey & Co.; England; 1876.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
The full text of the entry is as follows:

'813
Four portions of a frieze entitled 'Alcestis'
Produced by Jeffrey & Co.
1876
Colour prints from wood blocks
Various sizes
Given by Mr Emslie John Horniman and the WM respectively
E.4034-1915 CT 7796 (see col pl, p 302); E.1843-1845-1934

A detail of the block for this frieze is reproduced in Art Journal, November 1901, plate on p 333.'
Art Journal, November 1901, p 333.
A detail of the block for this frieze is reproduced as a plate on page 333.

Exhibition History

The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900 (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco 18/02/2012-17/07/2012)
The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900 (Musée d'Orsay 13/09/2011-15/01/2012)
The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900 (Victoria and Albert Museum 02/04/2011-17/07/2011)

Production Note

A detail of the block for this frieze is reproduced in Art Journal, November 1901, plate on p 333.

Materials

Paper

Techniques

Colour woodblock print

Subjects depicted

Flowers; Man; Woman; Angel; Vases; Arrows; Robes; Wings; Princess; Torches (lighting devices); Caryatid; Love; Breastplates (body armor); Atlas; Alcestis

Categories

Prints; Wall coverings

Collection code

PDP