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'Rhodopis' tile design for the Grill Room, South Kensington Museum

Design (Visual Work)
1868 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Poynter, Edward John (Sir) (designer)
Place of origin
London (designed)

Pencil and watercolour. Blue and white roundel design for tiles. The ancient Greek courtesan Rhodopis is depicted in an Egyptian loggia or similar setting. She reclines on a daybed, her dress trailing on the floor. Propped up on one elbow, she contemplates a necklace which she holds up to her face. Various personal effects lie before her on the floor. Behind her, highly decorated columns give way to an open-air view of vegetation and, beyond, a pyramid. A blue border encloses the composition. Signed with artist's monogram and dated.


Object details

Categories
History of the V&A
Ceramics
Delftware
Designs
Interiors
National Art Training School
Tiles
Myths & Legends
Object type
Design (visual work)
Title'Rhodopis' tile design for the Grill Room, South Kensington Museum (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pencil
Watercolour
Drawn
Brief description
Dado tile design by E. J. Poynter for the Grill Room, South Kensington Museum: 1 of 11 classical female figure subjects (Rhodopis). 1868.
Physical description
Pencil and watercolour. Blue and white roundel design for tiles. The ancient Greek courtesan Rhodopis is depicted in an Egyptian loggia or similar setting. She reclines on a daybed, her dress trailing on the floor. Propped up on one elbow, she contemplates a necklace which she holds up to her face. Various personal effects lie before her on the floor. Behind her, highly decorated columns give way to an open-air view of vegetation and, beyond, a pyramid. A blue border encloses the composition. Signed with artist's monogram and dated.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 198mm (Note: measured in mount)
Style
Victorian
Marks and inscriptions
Signed with artist's (Poynter's) monogram within the date 1868: '18EJP68'
Object history
Edward John Poynter was invited to tender for the decoration of the Grill Room in November 1865. He signed many of his dado tile designs for the Grill Room - including this one - with his monogram and the date 1868. Judging from the Seventeenth Report of the Science and Art Department, the Grill Room's dado tiles were all installed by the end of 1869 at the latest.
Subjects depicted
Wall Tile
Courtesan
Pyramid (Tomb)
Rhodope/Rhodopis
Place depicted
Egypt
Associations
South Kensington Porcelain Class
Victoria and Albert Museum
Bibliographic references
  • p. 455 Seventeenth Report of the Science and Art Department. London: printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1870
  • Physick, John. The Victoria and Albert Museum: The History of Its Building. London: The Victoria & Albert Museum, 1982 pp. 139-141; figs. 153-156; pls. XXVII-XXIX
  • p. 111 and pl. 15 Sheppard, F. H. W. (general ed.). Survey of London, vol. XXXVIII: The Museums Area of South Kensington and Westminster. London: Athlone Press, University of London, 1975
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
1120:4

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O503505/rhodopis-tile-design-for-the-design-visual-work-poynter-edward-john/
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