Dimensions: support: 2380 x 4720 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Augustus John | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Augustus John's large-scale painting, "Lyric Fantasy," presents a scene of figures in what seems like a dreamscape. I'm struck by its theatrical mood, like a stage lit for a performance. What symbols do you see woven into this piece? Curator: The lute, the drum, the dancing figures, these are archetypal symbols of revelry, of a community expressing itself through music and movement. Consider how such imagery functions in our collective memory. What sort of story does it evoke for you? Editor: It feels like a celebration of life and togetherness, though the figures also seem a bit detached from each other. Curator: Precisely. And look at the landscape—almost a backdrop rather than a real place. This hints at the painting's concern with the *idea* of community, rather than a specific one. It is a powerful representation of how we long for belonging. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the symbolic weight of the landscape itself.
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tate 3 months ago
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This is one of four murals commissioned in 1909 to decorate the hall of the house in Chelsea of Hugh Lane, a private dealer in old master paintings. John designed the composition using his own family and friends as models, including at the right his wife Ida, who had recently died. It was painted from a full size drawing. John then painted out a figure at the centre, and suggested alterations to compensate. Hugh Lane died in 1915, and his paintings were never finished.Lyric Fantasy was not displayed, nor given its title, until 1940. John devoted his early career to these decorative murals, which he based on drawings and colour sketches. Gallery label, September 2004
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