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Fortitude
Factory:
Enoch Wood
Potter:
Wood, Enoch
Sculptor:
Rysbrack, John Michael
(After)
Factory:
Wood & Caldwell
Lead-glazed cream earthenware painted in polychrome enamels
Earthenware, moulded, covered with slightly greenish lead-glaze, and painted in royal blue, turquoise, green, yellow, brownish-orange, flesh pink, pale purple, several shades of brown, and black enamels. The figure is supported on a low, straight-sided rectangular base which is hollow underneath. Fortitude has brown hair drawn back into a chignon with locks hanging down her back. Her flesh is delicately shaded in pink. She wears a blue headband, a cream dress scattered with spots and floral sprays, a turquoise cloak with a yellow lining, and brownish-orange sandals. She stands on her left leg with her left bent at the knee. Her head is turned a little to her right. She holds a large fluted column in her left hand, and holds up her cloak with her right. The base is marbled in shades of brown, blue and black to resemble marble. A pair with Prudence C.902B-1928
History note: Christie's, March or April 1905; Mr A.G. Smith, from whom purchased with a figure of Prudence for £40 on 2 June 1905, by Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge
Dr J.W.L. Glaisher Bequest
Depth: 20 cm
Height: 52.8 cm
Width: 28.5 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
18th Century, Late
George III
Circa
1790
CE
-
1810
CE
A column was one of the attributes of allegorical figures of Fortitude, one of the Seven Virtues. It refers to Samson's destruction of the Philistine temple by pulling down two columns which supported the roof (Bible, Judges, 16: 28-30).
This figure and its companion, Prudence, are attributed to Enoch Wood's factory on the basis of a pair marked 'E. WOOD' impressed. The figures are after terracotta models dated 1743 by J. Michael Rysbrack which were intended for a monument to John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll and Greenwich (d. 1743) in Westminster Abbey, but were never executed because Rysbrack lost the competition to Roubiliac. Plaster casts of the figures could have been supplied to Wood by Peter Vanina, who is known to have worked for Rysbrack and his clients, and who received a small bequest in his will. The Fitzwilliam's Wood figure of Shakespeare bears the initials PV. Alternatively casts could have been supplied by Charles Harris of the Strand (d. c. 1795) whose undated catalogue of casts includes figures of Prudence and Fortitude. (National Art Library, Victoria & Albert Museum, Box I.37.Y). The Fitzwilliam's figures could have been made before or after Wood entered into partnership with James Caldwell in 1791.
Decoration
composed of
enamel
( royal blue, turquoise, green, yellow, brownish-orange, flesh pink, pale purple, several shades of brown, and black)
Base
Width 20.5 cm
slightly blue tinted
Lead-glaze
Earthenware
Moulding
: Earthenware, moulded, covered with slightly greenish lead-glaze, and painted in royal blue, turquoise, green, yellow, brownish-orange, flesh pink, pale purple, several shades of brown, and black enamels
Lead-glazing
Inscription present: rectangular white paper stick-on label with blue line border and leaf in each top corner
Accession number: C.902A-1928
Primary reference Number: 76335
Old object number: 2311
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
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IIIF Manifest
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Fortitude" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76335 Accessed: 2024-11-02 08:28:58
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76335
|title=Fortitude
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-02 08:28:58|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-76335
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<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa32/C_902A_1928.jpg"
alt="Fortitude"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Fortitude</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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