Not currently on display at the V&A

Titania, from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Statue
1863 (made)
Artist/Maker
Lough, John Graham (sculptor)
Place of origin
England (made)

This is an example of Lough's use of Shakespearean themes, an area in which he specialised. The subject comes from Midsummer Night's Dream, Act IV, scene i.

Lough appears to have produced a number of versions of this figure. Although this particular piece is signed and dated 1863, an exhibition of 'Mr Lough's sculptures' held at his studio in July 1847 confirms that he had already produced a figure of Titania by that time, and he also exhibited a version at the International Exhibition of 1851. The architectural journal The Builder also reviewed a display of Shakespearean works by Lough held at the British Institution in 1850, which it said 'was particularly successful, and did honour to the sculptor, to whom England may point with great satisfaction'.

The model for this figure (which no longer survives) was among those bequeathed by the sculptor to the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, displayed at Elswick Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, from 1877.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
SCRAN
Object type
Statue
TitleTitania, from <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i> (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Marble
Marble
Brief description
Statue, marble, 'Titania and the Ass's Head' from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream, by John Graham Lough, England, 1863
Physical description
Titania reclines, with her left arm on the ass's head.
Dimensions
  • Statue height: 75cm
  • Plinth height: 91.44cm
  • Statue weight: 190kg
Marks and inscriptions
'J. C. LOUGH 1863' (Signature; date; On the front of the integral base.; 1863)
Credit line
Bequeathed by William Minshull Bigg
Object history
Bequeathed by William Minshull Bigg in 1867, together with V&A Mus. nos 323-1867 and 325-1867.
Subject depicted
Titania
Summary
This is an example of Lough's use of Shakespearean themes, an area in which he specialised. The subject comes from Midsummer Night's Dream, Act IV, scene i.

Lough appears to have produced a number of versions of this figure. Although this particular piece is signed and dated 1863, an exhibition of 'Mr Lough's sculptures' held at his studio in July 1847 confirms that he had already produced a figure of Titania by that time, and he also exhibited a version at the International Exhibition of 1851. The architectural journal The Builder also reviewed a display of Shakespearean works by Lough held at the British Institution in 1850, which it said 'was particularly successful, and did honour to the sculptor, to whom England may point with great satisfaction'.

The model for this figure (which no longer survives) was among those bequeathed by the sculptor to the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, displayed at Elswick Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, from 1877.
Bibliographic references
  • J. Lough & E. Merson John Graham Lough Woodbridge, 1987, pp. 36-59, 84, fig. 17
  • Cf. A. Clay et al British Sculpture in the Lady Lever Art Gallery National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool, 1999, p. 81
  • Literary Gazette. 1847, p. 507
  • Cf. Robinson, John. Descriptive Catalogue of the Lough and Noble Models of Statues, Bas-reliefs and Busts in Elswick Hall. 1904, 5th ed. no. 162. / 7th ed. no. 273
  • Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 2002, p. 325, cat. no. 493
  • The Illustrated Exhibitor. London, 1851, p. 22
  • Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1867. Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 27
  • Smith, Alison (ed.), Exposed : the Victorian nude. London : Tate Publishing, 2001
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
324-1867

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Record createdSeptember 5, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O67321/titania-from-ia-midsummer-nights-statue-lough-john-graham/
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