Box
1913-1916 (designed), 1913-1916 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
One of the underlying principles of the Omega Workshops, founded by the painter and art critic Roger Fry in 1913, was that artists would produce functional objects for the home anonymously. Simple boxes like this one were decorated by the painters and were the basic stock of the shop in Fitzroy Square, London, along with ceramics, furniture and textiles designed by the artists.
The box is not signed but we can be sure it was painted by Duncan Grant, as the reclining nude on the lid is typical of his style. In fact Grant sold it to the Museum, but it might not have been his to sell. A pencil inscription inside the lid says 'A.V. Bell', suggesting it had been given to his daughter Angelica, whose mother was another artist associated with the Omega Workshops, Vanessa Bell.
The box is not signed but we can be sure it was painted by Duncan Grant, as the reclining nude on the lid is typical of his style. In fact Grant sold it to the Museum, but it might not have been his to sell. A pencil inscription inside the lid says 'A.V. Bell', suggesting it had been given to his daughter Angelica, whose mother was another artist associated with the Omega Workshops, Vanessa Bell.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Oil painted wood |
| Brief description | Box, painted by Duncan Grant for the Omega Workshops, English, 1913-1916 |
| Physical description | Box made of soft wood with an inner lining at the sides which project upwards to fit under the plain lid. The exterior is painted in oils with two formalised blue fish on an ochre sea within a brown frame. The sides and bottom with a frieze of irregular angled bands decorated with black hatching over various colours. The sides of the box are painted violet, the top with a recumbent male nude of S form, lying on a bed, striped blue and white. Pencil under-drawing and pentimenti are visible in various places. (from Registered Description) |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | A.V. Bell (Inscribed in pencil inside the lid. Presumably this refers to Angelica Vanessa Bell, the daughter of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell.) |
| Object history | Purchased in 1965 from Duncan Grant [63/1215]. On entry to the Museum its condition was noted as being: 'rubbed and dirty'. This object was transferred to the Bethnal Green Museum in 1967 [67/645], the returned to the Circulation Department in 1972 [72/2314]. The initials A.V are inscribed in pencil inside the lid. Presumably this refers to Angelica Vanessa Bell, the daughter of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell. The box was offered to the Museum by Duncan Grant. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | One of the underlying principles of the Omega Workshops, founded by the painter and art critic Roger Fry in 1913, was that artists would produce functional objects for the home anonymously. Simple boxes like this one were decorated by the painters and were the basic stock of the shop in Fitzroy Square, London, along with ceramics, furniture and textiles designed by the artists. The box is not signed but we can be sure it was painted by Duncan Grant, as the reclining nude on the lid is typical of his style. In fact Grant sold it to the Museum, but it might not have been his to sell. A pencil inscription inside the lid says 'A.V. Bell', suggesting it had been given to his daughter Angelica, whose mother was another artist associated with the Omega Workshops, Vanessa Bell. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.42&A-1965 |
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| Record created | January 29, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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