About this artwork
Curator: Standing before us is "The Wine Press" by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope. Editor: It looks like a medieval fever dream, all wood and royal robes soaked in grape juice. The king or saint here seems both burdened and strangely serene. Curator: Stanhope, born in 1829, was associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, and this work certainly reflects their interest in symbolism and medieval themes, not to mention the religious undertones. Editor: Yes, the pose and setting evoke Christ's suffering, doesn’t it? Although it’s ambiguous, the barefoot figure, the crushing weight, it all hints at sacrifice. And is that a glimpse of paradise through the press? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe just the Tuscan countryside; Stanhope lived in Florence for much of his life. He saw the aesthetic possibilities of this region and, to me, he really shows them in the art he produced. Editor: Well, paradise or not, it’s a potent image, a blend of earthly labor and ethereal meaning. Curator: Absolutely, a visual poem about transformation and, perhaps, redemption.
Artwork details
- Dimensions
- support: 940 x 667 mm frame: 1192 x 914 x 73 mm
- Location
- Tate Collections
- Copyright
- CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Comments
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/stanhope-the-wine-press-n04493
This pictures illustrates the line from the Book of Isiah inscribed on the frame. Stanhope worked alongside Burne-Jones in the Oxford Union building during the project to dcorate its walls with scenes from the 'Morte d'Arthur'. Burne-Jones later reflected 'His colour was beyond any the finest in Europe; an exceptional turn for landscape he had too - quite individual. Rossetti was in a perfect state of enthusiasm about it - that was how he got to know him'. Gallery label, September 2004
About this artwork
Curator: Standing before us is "The Wine Press" by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope. Editor: It looks like a medieval fever dream, all wood and royal robes soaked in grape juice. The king or saint here seems both burdened and strangely serene. Curator: Stanhope, born in 1829, was associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, and this work certainly reflects their interest in symbolism and medieval themes, not to mention the religious undertones. Editor: Yes, the pose and setting evoke Christ's suffering, doesn’t it? Although it’s ambiguous, the barefoot figure, the crushing weight, it all hints at sacrifice. And is that a glimpse of paradise through the press? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe just the Tuscan countryside; Stanhope lived in Florence for much of his life. He saw the aesthetic possibilities of this region and, to me, he really shows them in the art he produced. Editor: Well, paradise or not, it’s a potent image, a blend of earthly labor and ethereal meaning. Curator: Absolutely, a visual poem about transformation and, perhaps, redemption.
Comments
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/stanhope-the-wine-press-n04493
This pictures illustrates the line from the Book of Isiah inscribed on the frame. Stanhope worked alongside Burne-Jones in the Oxford Union building during the project to dcorate its walls with scenes from the 'Morte d'Arthur'. Burne-Jones later reflected 'His colour was beyond any the finest in Europe; an exceptional turn for landscape he had too - quite individual. Rossetti was in a perfect state of enthusiasm about it - that was how he got to know him'. Gallery label, September 2004
