Profile of a girl
Relief
1518-1522 (made)
1518-1522 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Object Type
This terracotta relief, showing the profile of a girl with wings at her ears - a motif probably inspired by classical sources - was produced as part of the architectural decoration for the exterior of Suffolk Place, Southwark, London. This and other reliefs were excavated on the site of the house in 1937.
Places
Suffolk Place was a vast house built between 1518 and 1522 by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk for his wife Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. It is the earliest example of a Tudor courtyard house known to have carried this type of extensive terracotta decoration. This use of terracotta quickly became fashionable and appeared on other buildings commissioned by Henry VIII's courtiers, including Cardinal Wolsey's York Place (later Whitehall) and Hampton Court Palace.
People
Charles Brandon was an orphan raised at the court of Henry VII and became a life-long friend of Henry VIII, who made him 1st Duke of Suffolk in 1514. The Duke was one of Henry VIII's most powerful courtiers, marrying Henry's sister, Mary, in 1518.
Materials & Making
The relief is made of moulded clay that was dried and fired to create terracotta (literally 'cooked earth'), a material suitable for use as external decoration. Although building projects such as Suffolk Place were on a vast scale, by using a cheap raw material and a reproductive method of manufacture the buildings could be decorated economically and speedily.
This terracotta relief, showing the profile of a girl with wings at her ears - a motif probably inspired by classical sources - was produced as part of the architectural decoration for the exterior of Suffolk Place, Southwark, London. This and other reliefs were excavated on the site of the house in 1937.
Places
Suffolk Place was a vast house built between 1518 and 1522 by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk for his wife Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. It is the earliest example of a Tudor courtyard house known to have carried this type of extensive terracotta decoration. This use of terracotta quickly became fashionable and appeared on other buildings commissioned by Henry VIII's courtiers, including Cardinal Wolsey's York Place (later Whitehall) and Hampton Court Palace.
People
Charles Brandon was an orphan raised at the court of Henry VII and became a life-long friend of Henry VIII, who made him 1st Duke of Suffolk in 1514. The Duke was one of Henry VIII's most powerful courtiers, marrying Henry's sister, Mary, in 1518.
Materials & Making
The relief is made of moulded clay that was dried and fired to create terracotta (literally 'cooked earth'), a material suitable for use as external decoration. Although building projects such as Suffolk Place were on a vast scale, by using a cheap raw material and a reproductive method of manufacture the buildings could be decorated economically and speedily.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Profile of a girl (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Cast terracotta |
Brief description | Relief, fragment from a frieze, terracotta, the profile of a girl, Britain, ca. 1518-22 |
Physical description | Octagonal relief in cream terracotta. The head of a girl in profile to the left, with long plaits of hair knotted together in front. A pair of wings cover her ears and are tied round her neck by a riband fastened in front with a tassel. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label | British Galleries:
These terracottas were fired like bricks in a kiln, but were probably made from finer, denser clays. They were mass-produced and used mainly to decorate exterior brickwork. The motifs shown here are fragments of pilaster ornament and of a winged cherub, which may originally have supported a coat of arms. The winged female head evokes the spirit of ancient Rome and may be derived from a classical motif. Similar works are found elsewhere in Europe, and these examples may show the influence of Italian sculptors working in England.(27/03/2003) |
Object history | Probably made in London for Suffolk Place, Southwark, the house of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk (died in 1545). Found during excavations in 1937 for a new building for Messrs Mosers on the site of Suffolk, the place of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, brother-in-law to Henry VIII. Given to the Museum by Messrs Mosers Ltd, Iron Steel & Hardware Merchants, Borough High Street, Southwalk, London in 1938, together with cat. nos. 34 to 43. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Object Type This terracotta relief, showing the profile of a girl with wings at her ears - a motif probably inspired by classical sources - was produced as part of the architectural decoration for the exterior of Suffolk Place, Southwark, London. This and other reliefs were excavated on the site of the house in 1937. Places Suffolk Place was a vast house built between 1518 and 1522 by Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk for his wife Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII. It is the earliest example of a Tudor courtyard house known to have carried this type of extensive terracotta decoration. This use of terracotta quickly became fashionable and appeared on other buildings commissioned by Henry VIII's courtiers, including Cardinal Wolsey's York Place (later Whitehall) and Hampton Court Palace. People Charles Brandon was an orphan raised at the court of Henry VII and became a life-long friend of Henry VIII, who made him 1st Duke of Suffolk in 1514. The Duke was one of Henry VIII's most powerful courtiers, marrying Henry's sister, Mary, in 1518. Materials & Making The relief is made of moulded clay that was dried and fired to create terracotta (literally 'cooked earth'), a material suitable for use as external decoration. Although building projects such as Suffolk Place were on a vast scale, by using a cheap raw material and a reproductive method of manufacture the buildings could be decorated economically and speedily. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | A.26-1938 |
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Record created | March 27, 2003 |
Record URL |
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