15929968400001312637261000Standard Recordobject-95764170206283614416051959540001702062268602fitz-onlineadlib-object-95764https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/95764b02a19b8-d417-3918-bf05-ecffb2d392638personreferenceagent-157712adlib-agent-157712c2e1ef5e-bd3e-3896-8be0-02a9865c47c9youthreferenceterm-98228adlib-term-982283d747999-296f-3944-9a84-2936c3ae9f5csculptureappliedreferenceterm-4148adlib-term-4148d756a195-9618-3d0b-a5a7-f8f5353fdd11patinapresumedreferenceterm-40365adlib-term-40365d79c75c2-da7b-3187-918e-f7a374e04005bronzeFigurebronze, cast, with screw-on bee, supported on a green figured marble baseindirect wax processreferenceterm-26699adlib-term-26699a385eebb-7834-3204-a17f-d9c3cd15d9b8casting (process)referenceterm-98865adlib-term-98865aeb90103-2708-3cdf-abc1-219c45a070e9carvingdark green figuredreferenceterm-94994adlib-term-94994a8416abb-32a4-31c1-98a4-fad294ef677amarbleWidthcm9.9BaseBeescrewed into legreferenceterm-120073adlib-term-1200738f03d319-c397-37c8-a0e8-e23ef3cfdbbcpatinatingApplied ArtsBronze, cast, supported on green figured marble base. A nude youth, wearing a visor-like mask pushed back above his face, and holding in both hands a large gaping mask of Comedy, stands on the ball of his left foot and looks down towards his bent and raised left leg. A bee has just stung the calf and he grimaces in pain to form the mask of Tragedy. The octagonal base rises up in the middle into a circular socle with a depression in the top in which the circular base of the bronze stands.M.1-20031accession numberM.1-200395764priref95764external IDCAM_CCF_M_1_2003urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/95764https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/95764referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumAccepted by H.M. Treasury in lieu of capital taxes and allocated to The Fitzwilliam Museumreferenceagent-151342adlib-agent-151342a991843a-a684-311c-b5fa-263d23f8294aH.M. Treasury200320032003-10-20allocatedFor the provenance see a receipt, letter, and note of sale in the object's file, and a note of 1 November 2003 from Miss Mary Davey and Mr John Davey, also giving biographical details of their mother.18911891CE1891circa18911892Modelled in 1891-2. Cast later, possibly after 1901, but doesn't bear the mark of the Compagnie des Bronzes, Brussels, from whom a small number of actual size and half-size casts were ordered by Gilbert between 1902-05.11892CE1892circa1892sculptorreferenceagent-51985adlib-agent-51985bd8f6272-daa3-3bb6-8203-ba1546060e33Gilbert, AlfredComedy and Tragedy was the name of a play by W.S.
Gilbert which the sculptor had seen several times. He added the comment ‘Sic Vita’ (such is life) . The bee symbolizes love, and its sting, the pain love causes.The bronze originated in a sketch made in 1890, and in 1891, Gilbert developed his idea, using an Italian, Angelo Colorossi, as a model for the youth. The polychromed plaster sculpture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1892. Bronzes were cast in two sizes, 29 in (73.7 cm) and 14 in (36.8 cm).
Between 1902 and 1905 Gilbert or his son ordered casts of several of his most popular works through the Compagnie des Bronzes in Brussels, but this bronze does not bear the foundry’s mark.Sir Alfred Gilbert RA MVO (1854-1934) was an English sculptor. He studied in London, Paris and Rome, returning to England in 1884. Gilbert was the leading artist in the New Sculpture movement, which revitalised sculpture in late nineteenth-century Britain. He was also a vital force in reintroducing the lost-wax technique for casting works of art in bronze in England (sand-casting had been the norm for bronze sculpture since the 18th century, with lost-wax casting used only for small-scale work and jewellery). His commissions included the jubilee memorial to Queen Victoria in Winchester and the statue of Eros, in aluminium, for the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus, and in 1900 he was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy. A period of bankruptcy and divorce followed, and Gilbert moved to Bruges. On his return to England in 1926, his fortunes improved, the highlight being the bronze Queen Alexandra Memorial, at Marlborough House, London, 1926-32. He was knighted by George V in 1932. Gilbert died in poverty in 1934.cast by the indirect lost wax processreferenceterm-108070adlib-term-1080707e278258-23e3-3d5b-a4ff-ab5ecacb4bf319th Century, Late#referenceterm-97680adlib-term-97680d0493beb-d54a-30ea-970d-e525d2e9403eVictoriareferenceterm-106216adlib-term-106216825b8379-ec94-388e-9a59-624e40c090d0literalEnglandEnglandcountryprobablyLondonHeightcm37referencemedia-67787adlib-media-6778787d7c76c-e0d7-321c-b0e7-86b24eb1cf93jpegaa/aa20/M_1_2003.jpg1heightpixels760widthpixels54216162646268031imagejpegaa/aa20/mid_M_1_2003.jpg1heightpixels701widthpixels50016162646268031imagejpegaa/aa20/M_1_2003.jpg1heightpixels760widthpixels54216162646268031imagejpegaa/aa20/preview_M_1_2003.jpg1heightpixels351widthpixels25016162646268031image0media
imagereferencemedia-3679747084portfolio-media-36797470848344c364-e828-3f96-9aa6-8297545e7cd7jpegportfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/504/750/large_M_1_2003_mas.jpg1heightpixels1435widthpixels102415293700280001imagejpegportfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/504/750/mid_M_1_2003_mas.jpg1heightpixels701widthpixels50015293700280001imageM.1-2003_mas.jpg15293700280001imagejpegportfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/504/750/preview_M_1_2003_mas.jpg1heightpixels350widthpixels25015293700280001image1media
imagereferenceterm-107454adlib-term-1074546ca0f2ab-c1f8-329d-8a45-8f1322f53a20figurehistory notePurchased from The Fine Art Society Ltd., Bond Street, London W 1, for £60 by Derek Parsons in 1943; sold by him to G.C.Arnallt Jones on 21 December 1944; his brother-in-law Ivor Glyndwr Davies,Cardiff; his niece, Mrs Margaret Rowena Davey, née Davies (1917-2002); accepted by H.M. Treasury in lieu of capital taxes and allocated to The Fitzwilliam Museum from the estate of Mrs Davey.referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museumreference numberliteralnameSculpture UKSculpture UKPubl. p. 43, no. 16, illustrated p. 42.42-3referencepublication-4856adlib-publication-4856a2b11298-aaed-3a33-8b4d-57abd32489dbAcceptance in Lieu Report 2003/04Publ. pl. XVI859referencepublication-200001882adlib-publication-2000018826ffe870e-fad9-3c83-8bf4-4de4648a6443The Jerwood Supplement, Recent acquisitions (1999-2004) of sculpture by British museums and galleriesCf. Three versions of 'Comedy and Tragedy', p. 116-17, no. 22, 73.7 cm high with text (National Gallery of Scotland); pp. 117-8 no. 23, h. 36.8 cm, cast by the Compagnie des Bronzes (National Gallery of Art, Washington 1984.67.1; no. 24, h. 36.8 cm (Tate Gallery)116-18referencepublication-4698adlib-publication-469852e3a307-275a-32ff-9b19-2a6bae9f8accAlfred Gilbert, Sculptor and GoldsmithCf. A large size cast 67.25 cm high. The author quotes Gilbert's explanation of the title and its meaning to him, and notes that the model for the figure was Angelo Colorossi (b. 1875), who also posed for Eros.104-07referencepublication-4801adlib-publication-48015ff5c974-86f0-3821-9da5-929610aa9088European Sculpture 2004Cf. pp. 158-9, lot 52, an cast of the large size 68 cm (26 3/4 in), bearing the double ampersand raised mark and 1. Estimate £60-80,000. From the Hon. Bobby Wills Collection,Farmington Lodge, Gloucestershire.158-9referencepublication-5299adlib-publication-52998566cb57-2e31-3d4b-83de-5bd12880df4aEuropean Sculpture & Works of ArtCf. p. 62, lot 227, a cast, 39 cm (15 3/8 in) high on later marble plinth. From a private colllection, Villa San Maurizio, La Jolla, California. Reputedly from collection of the sculptor, Sir Edgar Bertram McKennal, and with the Fine Art Society in 1981. Estimate £10,000-1500062referencepublication-5686adlib-publication-5686456462fe-a218-3abe-99f7-d4d54596f2f5Victorian & Traditionalist PicturesCf. p. 103, lot 108, illustrated pp. 102 & 103. Bronze he. 67.5 cm. sockle 6.5 cm. Estimate £10-15,000. Described as 'After Alfred Gilbert'.102-3referencepublication-5701adlib-publication-5701484a1dde-8d50-3624-8798-92dfef50a3d619th & 20th Century European Sculpturereferenceterm-14252adlib-term-14252028aa1e1-3098-309d-af11-62ae27515507New Sculpture Movementconceptreferenceterm-102669adlib-term-102669b824e2d3-9ec5-30bb-8bb7-7d0d6879fdb6comedyconceptreferenceterm-102756adlib-term-102756bcc77875-108f-3b65-bf34-b4b7ee536cbbtragedyobject namereferenceterm-106414adlib-term-106414f3bc6e35-6744-3307-bd59-ed00318e8b62maskanimalreferenceterm-106583adlib-term-106583172c1803-7ab4-354d-8b33-56a313134c72beeliteralcomedycomedyliteraltragedytragedyliteralmaskmaskliteralbeebeereferenceterm-107454adlib-term-1074546ca0f2ab-c1f8-329d-8a45-8f1322f53a20figurefigureComedy and Tragedy: Such is LifeComedy and Tragedy: Sic Vitaobject
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