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Britannia Square

Print
1998 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Neil Pittaway is a young English artist whose work reflects a kind of mania to do with gothic revival architecture, urban-ness, satire, illustration and narrative. Relating to existing works in the Museum collection, his prints incorporate elements of famous 19th-century satirists such as Gillray and Cruikshank, woven into a complex and agoraphobic maze of buildings which echo the monumental perspectives of the 18th-century draftsman Piranesi, and the mazes and impossible spaces of the 20th-century Dutch artist M.C. Escher, evoking many of the values and visual qualities which make up London's past.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBritannia Square (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Etching on paper
Brief description
Print by Neil Pittaway, 'Britannia Square', 'Italy in Britain', Great Britain, 1998
Physical description
Black and white etching landscape formate of a fantastical, maze-like, confused urban landscape, incorporating recognisable elements of London such as Picadilly Circus and Big Ben, alongside multistorey buildings and images of Nelson,Wellington and Napoleon in the style of 19th century caricature.
Dimensions
  • Plate height: 60cm
  • Plate width: 80.7cm
Production typeLimited edition
Copy number
10/30 Edition B
Marks and inscriptions
'Neil Pittaway 1998' (Signature; date; below lower margin of plate to right; pencil; 1998)
Credit line
Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Neil Pittaway is a young English artist whose work reflects a kind of mania to do with gothic revival architecture, urban-ness, satire, illustration and narrative. Relating to existing works in the Museum collection, his prints incorporate elements of famous 19th-century satirists such as Gillray and Cruikshank, woven into a complex and agoraphobic maze of buildings which echo the monumental perspectives of the 18th-century draftsman Piranesi, and the mazes and impossible spaces of the 20th-century Dutch artist M.C. Escher, evoking many of the values and visual qualities which make up London's past.
Collection
Accession number
E.865-2003

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Record createdDecember 12, 2003
Record URL
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