Set of Designs for Friezes
Print
1640 (first published), 1668 (published)
1640 (first published), 1668 (published)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Edward Pearce, the designer of this series, was one of the leading British artists of the Baroque style in his day. As a contemporary and associate of Inigo Jones, he worked particularly on interior decoration. This series of frieze designs reflect Pearce’s taste. Originally published in 1640, this edition is a posthumous reproduction from 1668, ten years after the artist’s death. Like Jones, Pearce believed that buildings should be constructed with strong, masculine exteriors and rich, elaborate interiors. This mix of architectural and florid design is evident throughout the frieze series. Putti drape themselves across bundles of fruit alongside solid architectural frames. During Pearce’s career, Richard Symonds praised him for having the best grasp on perspective of any British artist of the day. This too is evident in the series, and through attentive shading and positioning of various decorative elements, Pearce creates a sense of depth, even in a limited space.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Set of Designs for Friezes (series title) |
Materials and techniques | engraving |
Brief description | Edward Pearce (after), plate from suite of twelve, including title plate showing designs for friezes. British, 1640. |
Physical description | Design for frieze showing a double festoon meeting at the centre of the print. On the left side, a cherub sits on a pedestal, looking to the right over his shoulder with his left wing outstretched. Another cherub holds on to the first and also looks to the right of a frieze where a third cherub reaches toward an open mouthed mask on the left of an architectural frame. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions | "9" |
Object history | One of Pearce’s most famous endeavours was the decoration of the Double Cube Room at Wilton House, which he completed working under Inigo Jones with John Webb. In fact, work by Dr. Gordon Higgott of English Heritage suggests that many of the drawings for the House originally attributed to Jones were actually Pearce’s work (2012). These drawings and images of the room give an idea how the design elements in Pearce’s frieze were implemented as three-dimensional decoration. E3622-1907 in the V&A collection is another state of the engraving. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Edward Pearce, the designer of this series, was one of the leading British artists of the Baroque style in his day. As a contemporary and associate of Inigo Jones, he worked particularly on interior decoration. This series of frieze designs reflect Pearce’s taste. Originally published in 1640, this edition is a posthumous reproduction from 1668, ten years after the artist’s death. Like Jones, Pearce believed that buildings should be constructed with strong, masculine exteriors and rich, elaborate interiors. This mix of architectural and florid design is evident throughout the frieze series. Putti drape themselves across bundles of fruit alongside solid architectural frames. During Pearce’s career, Richard Symonds praised him for having the best grasp on perspective of any British artist of the day. This too is evident in the series, and through attentive shading and positioning of various decorative elements, Pearce creates a sense of depth, even in a limited space. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | E.2105-1908 |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
Record URL |
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