The Statue Gallery
Frederick Christian Lewis, English, 1779 - 1856
after William Westall, English, 1781 - 1850
1814
Hand colored etching on wove paper
Sight: 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Sight: 11 in. (27.9 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Guernsey Center Moore 1904 Memorial Fund
PR.951.59.1
Portfolio / Series Title
Ackermann's History of Oxford
Geography
Place Made: England, United Kingdom, Europe
Period
19th century
Object Name
Research Area
Not on view
Inscriptions
Inscribed, lower left: W. Westall del.t; lower right: Lewis sculp.t; center: THE STATUE GALLERY / London Pub. Sept.r 1814 at 101 Strand for R. Ackermann's History of Oxford
Label
A long corridor is lined with large statues that loom over a mother and her child. A mix of ancient gods and goddesses as well as busts of rulers, the sculptures represent an impressive array. This densely crowded space offers a glimpse of the early installation of the Ashmolean Museum, the first public art gallery and university art museum established in Britain. Founded in 1677, the museum was formed from the private collection of the politician and intellectual Elias Ashmole. Part of the University of Oxford, the Ashmolean still holds one of the most significant collections of antiquities in the world as a source of study and teaching.
From the 2024 exhibition Living with Sculpture: Presence and Power in Europe, 1400–1750, curated by Elizabeth Rice Mattison, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art, and Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections
Course History
History 42.01, Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies 22.01, Gender & European Society, Patrick Meehan, Spring 2024
History 96.39, Saints and Relics, Cecilia Gaposchkin, Spring 2024
Italian 1.01, Introductory Italian I, Noemi Perego, Spring 2024
Italian 11.01, Intensive Italian, Floriana Ciniglia, Spring 2024
Italian 2.01, Introductory Italian II, Floriana Ciniglia, Spring 2024
Italian 3.01, Introductory Italian III, Tania Convertini, Spring 2024
Italian 3.02, Introductory Italian III, Giorgio Alberti, Spring 2024
Exhibition History
Living with Sculpture: Presence and Power in Europe, 1400–1750, Citrin Family Gallery and Engles Family Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 23, 2024–March 22, 2025.
Provenance
Goodspeed's Book Shop, Boston, Massachusetts; sold to present collection, 1951.
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