Woman leaning on a capital
Roundel
ca. 1863 (made)
ca. 1863 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Together with A.18 - A.22-1975 and A.16 to 21-1911 the roundels were study models for wood-panels for the walnut doors at the dining-room at Dorchester House, Park Lane, London, now in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
They were made by Alfred Stevens (1817-1875) in ca. 1863. A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens 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.
Dorchester House was a stately mansion in Park Lane built in 1853 by Robert Stayner Holford, a wealthy landowner, art collector, and a Member of Parliament. Alfred Stevens designed and executed the fittings for Dorchester House between 1863 and 1865. The mansion was demolished in 1929.
They were made by Alfred Stevens (1817-1875) in ca. 1863. A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens 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.
Dorchester House was a stately mansion in Park Lane built in 1853 by Robert Stayner Holford, a wealthy landowner, art collector, and a Member of Parliament. Alfred Stevens designed and executed the fittings for Dorchester House between 1863 and 1865. The mansion was demolished in 1929.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Woman leaning on a capital (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster in glazed frame |
| Brief description | Roundel, sketch model, plaster in glazed frame, a resting woman, for door panels at Dorchester House, by Alfred Stevens, English, ca. 1863 |
| Physical description | The roundel depicts a woman resting her right arm against a plinth and looking over her right shoulder. She holds a branch in her left hand. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Presented by Art Fund |
| Object history | Presented to the Tate Gallery by the executors of Sir George Holford through the National Art Collection Fund in 1928. Transferred from the Tate to the V&A in 1975. |
| Historical context | Together with A.18 - A.22-1975 and A.16 to 21-1911 the roundels were study models for wood-panels for the walnut doors at the dining-room at Dorchester House, Park Lane, London, now in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Together with A.18 - A.22-1975 and A.16 to 21-1911 the roundels were study models for wood-panels for the walnut doors at the dining-room at Dorchester House, Park Lane, London, now in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. They were made by Alfred Stevens (1817-1875) in ca. 1863. A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens 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. Dorchester House was a stately mansion in Park Lane built in 1853 by Robert Stayner Holford, a wealthy landowner, art collector, and a Member of Parliament. Alfred Stevens designed and executed the fittings for Dorchester House between 1863 and 1865. The mansion was demolished in 1929. |
| Associated objects | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.20-1975 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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