Pietà and Dancing Putti thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Pietà and Dancing Putti

Relief
1923 (made)
Artist/Maker
Reid Dick, Sir William (sculptor)
Place of origin
England (made)

This plaster relief and frieze were models for the Portland stone altar frieze in the Earl Kitchener Memorial Chapel, Chapel of All Souls, St. Paul's Cathedral, which was installed in 1925. The composition of A.40A-1975 is based on Donatello's 'Cantoria', now in the Museo dell' Opera del Duomo, Florence.
Both are made by Sir William Reid Dick in England in 1923. Granville Fell considered the monument to be 'one of his [Reid Dick's] most important monumental works, commemorative and memorial, more or less associated with its architectural surroundings...'.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Death
Christianity
Religion
Scotland
Reliefs
Object type
Relief
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Relief
  • Frieze
Titles
  • Pietà and Dancing Putti (generic title)
  • Pietà and Dancing Putti (generic title)
  • Pietà from the memorial in St. Paul's Cathedral to Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl of Khartoum and Broome (named collection)
  • Frieze from the memorial in St. Paul's Cathedral to Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl of Khartoum and Broome (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Painted ochre-coloured plaster in wooden frame and for A.40A-1975 painted plaster in relief
Plaster
Wood
Relief
Brief description
Reliefs, painted ochre-coloured plaster in wooden frame, Pietà and Dancing Putti, by Sir William Reid Dick, England, 1923
Physical description
A.40-1975: Christ lying in the mourning Virgin's arms. Her head is bowed in reverential attitude over the torn hand of the Saviour.
A.40A-1975: This relief is showing ten putti dancing with laurel wreaths, cymbals and pipes.
Dimensions
  • Height: 60cm
Object history
Formerly in the possession of the sculptor. Given by Lady Reid Dick, his widow in 1975.
Subjects depicted
Putti
Christ
The Virgin Mary
Summary
This plaster relief and frieze were models for the Portland stone altar frieze in the Earl Kitchener Memorial Chapel, Chapel of All Souls, St. Paul's Cathedral, which was installed in 1925. The composition of A.40A-1975 is based on Donatello's 'Cantoria', now in the Museo dell' Opera del Duomo, Florence.
Both are made by Sir William Reid Dick in England in 1923. Granville Fell considered the monument to be 'one of his [Reid Dick's] most important monumental works, commemorative and memorial, more or less associated with its architectural surroundings...'.
Bibliographic references
  • Graves, A., Exhibitors at the Royal Academy, London, 1977, p. 162, no. 1424
  • Granville Fell, H., Sir William Reid Dick, London, 1945, p. vii
  • Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470-2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002, p. 451, cat.no. 742
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.40-1975

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O347497/pietà-and-dancing-putti-relief-reid-dick-sir/
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