Psyche at her Toilet (from Hill Hall, Essex)
Panel
ca. 1575 (made)
ca. 1575 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This is a rare example of an English wall painting of the period. Houses owned by the gentry and merchants were often decorated with murals during the 16th and 17th centuries, mostly in imitation of wall hangings. However, few figurative paintings survive. They were not considered worth preserving and were often overpainted, or even destroyed, during subsequent redecoration.
Subjects Depicted
The painting includes an episode from the story of Cupid and Psyche. This is a famous tale in the Roman novel now called The Golden Ass, written by Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century AD. It was first translated into English by William Arlington in 1566. The scene shows Psyche at her toilet, accompanied by her assistant.
People
Lucas de Heere, who possibly painted these scenes, was born in Ghent, Flanders (now Belgium). He had a distinguished career on the Continent, working as a painter, tapestry designer, draughtsman and poet. However, his Calvinist (or Protestant) sympathies led him to spend the years 1567-1576 in England.
Place
Hill Hall was owned by Sir Thomas Smith (1513-1577), Secretary of State to Edward VI and later to Elizabeth I. Other sections of this decorative scheme can still be seen at Hill Hall (English Heritage).
This is a rare example of an English wall painting of the period. Houses owned by the gentry and merchants were often decorated with murals during the 16th and 17th centuries, mostly in imitation of wall hangings. However, few figurative paintings survive. They were not considered worth preserving and were often overpainted, or even destroyed, during subsequent redecoration.
Subjects Depicted
The painting includes an episode from the story of Cupid and Psyche. This is a famous tale in the Roman novel now called The Golden Ass, written by Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century AD. It was first translated into English by William Arlington in 1566. The scene shows Psyche at her toilet, accompanied by her assistant.
People
Lucas de Heere, who possibly painted these scenes, was born in Ghent, Flanders (now Belgium). He had a distinguished career on the Continent, working as a painter, tapestry designer, draughtsman and poet. However, his Calvinist (or Protestant) sympathies led him to spend the years 1567-1576 in England.
Place
Hill Hall was owned by Sir Thomas Smith (1513-1577), Secretary of State to Edward VI and later to Elizabeth I. Other sections of this decorative scheme can still be seen at Hill Hall (English Heritage).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Psyche at her Toilet (from Hill Hall, Essex) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Painted plaster panel, Psyche at her toilet, painted after Michiel Coxie the elder, made possibly by Lucas d'Heere, ca. 1575, Essex |
| Physical description | Coloured distemper painting on a thin coat of fine plaster depicting Psyche at her toilet, a scene from the love story of Cupid and Psyche |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Lord Edward Hay |
| Object history | Given by Lord Edward Hay, Hill Hall, Theydon Mount Essex RP 1620/38 Rubbed and cracked in many places Removed from Hill Hall, Essex, where (together with W8 and W10- 1938) it formed part of a large decorative scheme (see Neg. 77381, photograph taken before demolition). The designs were taken from a set of engravings illustrating the story of Cupid and Psyche by the Master of the Die and Agostino Veneziano after designs by Michiel Coxie, or possibly from a later imitation of these engravings by J. A. Ducerceau. Possibly by Lucas de Heere (born in Ghent, about 1534, died, possibly in Ghent, 1584); based on a print by the Master of the Die, using designs by Michiel Coxcie the Elder (born in Mechelen, Belgium 1499, died there in 1592) Painted at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, Essex |
| Production | Based on a set of engravings by the Master of the Die and Agostino Veneziano after original designs by Michiel Coxie the Elder (born in Mechelen, Belgium 1499, died there in 1592), or possibly from a later imitation of these engravings by J. A. Ducerceau. Painted at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, Essex. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This is a rare example of an English wall painting of the period. Houses owned by the gentry and merchants were often decorated with murals during the 16th and 17th centuries, mostly in imitation of wall hangings. However, few figurative paintings survive. They were not considered worth preserving and were often overpainted, or even destroyed, during subsequent redecoration. Subjects Depicted The painting includes an episode from the story of Cupid and Psyche. This is a famous tale in the Roman novel now called The Golden Ass, written by Lucius Apuleius in the 2nd century AD. It was first translated into English by William Arlington in 1566. The scene shows Psyche at her toilet, accompanied by her assistant. People Lucas de Heere, who possibly painted these scenes, was born in Ghent, Flanders (now Belgium). He had a distinguished career on the Continent, working as a painter, tapestry designer, draughtsman and poet. However, his Calvinist (or Protestant) sympathies led him to spend the years 1567-1576 in England. Place Hill Hall was owned by Sir Thomas Smith (1513-1577), Secretary of State to Edward VI and later to Elizabeth I. Other sections of this decorative scheme can still be seen at Hill Hall (English Heritage). |
| Associated objects | |
| Bibliographic reference | J.F.A. Roberts, ‘English wall-Paintings after Italian engravings’ in The Burlington Magazine , vol. XVIII, 1941, p. 86-92, Pl. A-C. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.9-1938 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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