Other Kinds of Love: C.12-2018

Current Location: Gallery 7 (Courtauld)

Titles

Other Kinds of Love

Maker(s)

Maker: Smith, Matt

Entities

Assemblage

Description

Black parian, moulded from other objects and ceramics.

Black parian elliprical container, with slightly concave vertical sides and classical decoration, filled with animal and human figures and objects. At the centre a large decanter shaped form with pronounced shoulders, a short narrow neck and large knob. To one side, a large swan's neck with head falling to the ground outside the container.

Place(s) associated

County Kilkenny ⪼ Ireland

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given by Anonymous

Dating

Production date: AD 2017

Note

Matt Smith (b.1971) is an artist and curator. Smith made this piece for inclusion in the Fitzwilliam Museum exhibition 'Flux: Parian Unpacked', which he co-curated in 2018. The black parian material contrasted starkly with the shades of white found in the Glynn collection of English parian, which formed the centrepiece of the exhibition. The piece responds to two early eighteenth century bronzes in the museum's collection: 'Leda and the Swan' and 'Ganymede and the Eagle' by Soldani-Benzi. Made using moulds from other objects, including ceramics, this composite piece explores the English museum tradition of displaying unusual kinds of love in Classical art, but (until recently) ignoring allusions to homosexuality.