Caryatid figure
Casts
ca. 1851 (made)
ca. 1851 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is one of a pair of models for part of a bronze, lacquered brass and steel fireplace known as the 'Boy' stove designed by Stevens for Messrs Hoole & Co Ltd in 1851, and exhibited at the Great Exhibition of that year.
A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo; and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement. The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument.
A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo; and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement. The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Caryatid figure (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster |
| Brief description | Model, plaster, Caryatid figure, one of a pair for a steel fire-place known as the 'Boy', by Alfred Stevens for Messrs Hoole 7 Co Ltd, England, ca. 1851 |
| Physical description | A nude boy standing to the left and holding up a cornucopiae. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought from Hugh Stannus, 64 Larkhall Rise, Clapham, London, together with range of other objects by Stevens, for £35. This model was included in a large purchase of material by Stevens in the possession of Stannus, a former pupil of Stevens who wrote a monograph on the sculptor in 1891. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is one of a pair of models for part of a bronze, lacquered brass and steel fireplace known as the 'Boy' stove designed by Stevens for Messrs Hoole & Co Ltd in 1851, and exhibited at the Great Exhibition of that year. A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo; and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement. The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument. |
| Associated object | 958A-1903 (Ensemble) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 958-1903 |
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| Record created | November 14, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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