Narcissus
Figure
1846 (made)
1846 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This parian figure is after the marble sculpture 'Narcissus' by John Gibson (1790-1866), now in the Royal Academy of Arts, London. In Greek mythology Narcissus was a handsome youth who spurned many suitors only to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool, eventually dying inconsolate.
This figure was commissioned by the Art Union of London, an organisation established in 1836 for the encouragement of British artists and the improvement of public taste in matters of the arts. The Union had an annual subscription rate for which each subscriber received an engraving of a painting, and also the chance of winning a prize picture or sculpture.
Parian-ware, a matt white porcelain developed in the 1840s, recalled the sheen and translucency of the marble of classical sculpture and was widely used for decorative figures.
This figure was commissioned by the Art Union of London, an organisation established in 1836 for the encouragement of British artists and the improvement of public taste in matters of the arts. The Union had an annual subscription rate for which each subscriber received an engraving of a painting, and also the chance of winning a prize picture or sculpture.
Parian-ware, a matt white porcelain developed in the 1840s, recalled the sheen and translucency of the marble of classical sculpture and was widely used for decorative figures.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Narcissus (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Parian ware |
| Brief description | Figure of 'Narcissus', 'Parian' ware, after a statue by John Gibson, made by Copeland, Stoke-on-Trent, 1846 |
| Physical description | 'Parian ware' figure of Narcissus. Nude figure of a boy seated on a rock and bending forward, with a pipe in his left hand. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Transferred from the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street |
| Object history | Given by Alderman Copeland. Transferred from Jermyn Street Collection. |
| Production | After a statue by John Gibson. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This parian figure is after the marble sculpture 'Narcissus' by John Gibson (1790-1866), now in the Royal Academy of Arts, London. In Greek mythology Narcissus was a handsome youth who spurned many suitors only to fall in love with his own reflection in a pool, eventually dying inconsolate. This figure was commissioned by the Art Union of London, an organisation established in 1836 for the encouragement of British artists and the improvement of public taste in matters of the arts. The Union had an annual subscription rate for which each subscriber received an engraving of a painting, and also the chance of winning a prize picture or sculpture. Parian-ware, a matt white porcelain developed in the 1840s, recalled the sheen and translucency of the marble of classical sculpture and was widely used for decorative figures. |
| Bibliographic reference | Smith, Alison (ed.), Exposed : the Victorian nude. London : Tate Publishing, 2001
no. 45 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 2789-1901 |
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| Record created | October 28, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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