Canterbury Pilgrims by Thomas Stothard (tactile)
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- Synopsis
- 1817; Thomas Stothard, RA (1755-1834); oil on panel in a gilded wooden frame; panel: 27 cm high by 94 cm wide, frame: 54 cm high by 121 cm wide. The whole painting shows the medieval pilgrims of Chaucers Canterbury Tales riding on horseback from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The procession includes from left to right: the Miller, the Host, the Doctor of Physik, the Merchant, the Sergeant at Law, the Franklin, the Knight, the Reve, the Young Esquire, the Old Ploughman, the Good Parson, the Yeoman, two Nuns, the Priest, a third Nun, the Lady, the Prioress, the Oxford Scholar, the Shipman, the Manciple, Chaucer, the Wife of Bath, the Pardonere, the Crier, the Monk, the Friar, the Goldsmith, the Weaver, the Haberdasher, the Dyer, two Tapestry Merchants and the Cook. This is one of three oil-painted copies by Stothard of an original oil (now in the collection of Tate Britain, London) commissioned from him about 1806 by the engraver and publisher R. H. Cromek, for publication as a print. The three painted copies were commissioned by private collectors, the Canterbury version being painted in 1817 for Irish MP Samuel Boddington, whose fortunes came from West Indies estates. Stothard also painted a number of watercolour versions. Cromek had been so struck with the picturesque description of the pilgrims in Chaucers Canterbury Tales that he conceived the idea of embodying the whole procession in a picture and suggested the design to Mr Stothard. The artist had already made a composition on the theme, which had been engraved and published as an illustration to Chaucers Prologue in Joseph Ritsons The English Anthology, 1793-4. The group at the front of the procession is based on this image. Preparatory sketches (in the collections of Tate Britain) show Stothard working out the best composition for the rest of the procession, which he breaks into five groups. The frieze of horses and figures was modelled on the famous ancient Greek Elgin Marbles. The original oil was displayed by Cromek in 1807 at his house in Newman Street, to drum up subscriptions for the print. It was shown to the Prince of Wales, who graciously permitted Mr Cromek to dedicate the print to him. Cromek also exhibited the painting in a shop window to be seen by visitors to the Royal Academy exhibition at Somerset House, and toured the painting throughout the British Isles, to gain further subscribers (a practice that was common for the issue of prints after paintings in the 19th century). The engraving was eventually published in 1817, and became a familiar household image. The Miller According to Chaucer the miller was a big brawny man with a big mouth, literally and figuratively, [who could] outwrestle any man/ even a ram. He had a red beard, and a wart on his nose from which sprouted bristly hairs. He played the bagpipes to entertain his fellow pilgrims and told a smutty story about a poor student, an elderly carpenter and his rather beautiful young wife.
- Copyright:
- 2011
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Publisher:
- RNIB
- Date of Addition:
- 04/12/17
- Copyrighted By:
- RNIB
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- Art and Architecture
- Submitted By:
- Sarah Bennett
- Proofread By:
- N/A
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.