Toy design - The Dancing Master

Maker

Attributed to
(artist)
1891-1981

Title

Date of Production

1914 - 1916

Medium

graphite, watercolour and bodycolour (recto), graphite (verso - tracing of just the shoulders from the recto) on wove paper

Dimensions

Height: 32 cm
Width: 19.9 cm

Accession Number

D.1958.PD.75

Mode of Acquisition

Pamela Diamand, gift, 1958

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

This design combines the themes of dance and music. The colourful figure stands on tiptoe and holds an elegant dancing posture whilst poised to play his violin. Two little holes on his shoulders anticipate the design’s realisation in wood and indicate the position where pins or rivets were intended to articulate the arms. The posture and detail of the figure might have been difficult to translate into a standing wooden toy. It is possibly one of Gill’s first attempts to study the composition of such toys.

Provenance

Roger Fry (1866-1934); by descent to his daughter Pamela Diamand; Pamela Diamand Gift 1958

Exhibition History

Special Display - Works by Winifred Gill, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/05/2009-29/09/2009

Art Made Modern - Roger Fry's Vision of Art, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 15/10/1999-23/01/2000

Roger Fry and the Omega Workshops, The Courtauld Gallery (Prints and Drawings Study Room), 01/08/1990-02/12/1990 ...More

El Grup de Bloomsbury, Sala d'Exposicions de la Caixa, Barcelona, 01/09/1986-01/10/1986

The Omega Workshops 1913 to 1919, Crafts Council Gallery, London, 18/01/1984-18/03/1984 ...Less

Literature

The Omega Workshops 1913 to 1919, Crafts Council Gallery, London, 1984
cat. no. D42b

El Grup de Bloomsbury, Sala d'Exposicions de la Caixa, Barcelona, Spain, 1986
cat. no. 60

Art Made Modern - Roger Fry's Vision of Art, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1999-2000
cat. no. 198 ...More

Beyond Bloomsbury - Designs of the Omega Workshops 1913-19, Courtauld Gallery, London, 2009
Appendix, no. 51
ill. on p. 175 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: Verso, repeated at upper and lower centre: "The New / Smooth Ivory".

Inscription: Recto: lower right, black watercolour, titled: “The dancing master”. Verso: lower left, blue ink: “HHF. 263.”.

Collector's mark: none.

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection