Art
Why the frieze The Triumph of Art and Letters is the Royal Albert Hall's crowning glory – Classical-Music.com
From trains and cherubs to students and spaniels, the Albert Hall’s ‘Triumph of Art and Letters’ is a riot of Victorian Utopia, explains Rick Jones
Published: January 3, 2022 at 7:31 am
The crowning glory of the Royal Albert Hall is the 250-metre long frieze called The Triumph of Art and Letters on the outer wall, 60 feet up. It was the final element in construction before Victoria cut the ribbon in March 1871.
Its seven Royal Academy artists shared out 16 sections and filled them with 280 life-size figures involved in artistic creativity, manufacture, construction or education. Originally it was to have been a ring of sculpted marble, but economies were necessary, and terra cotta mosaics became the more modest medium. They were put in place not by the artists but by ladies of the mosaic class at the South Kensington Museum, now known as the V&A.
What does the The Triumph of Art and Letters show?
The frieze begins above Door 6 with a scene of exotic foreigners arriving in London for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851. The carved text, which runs above it noting the financial contribution made by that event to the hall’s construction, also starts here. It seems to determine the order of the sections, so that the phrase ‘advancement of the arts’ overlies the Music and Painting panel above Doors 7 and 8, the name ‘Prince Albert’ coincides with the Princes and Patrons panel above the west porch, ‘the first stone’ accompanies Workers in Stone above Doors 10 and 11 and the quote from Ecclesiastes ‘the wise and their works’ superscribes the figure of James Watt and his steam engine above Door 5.
Watt is exceptional in being identified. Most of the figures are anonymous men, women and children. Some of the men are nude like Greeks, most notably in the Mechanical Powers panel above Door 4, although to spare Victorian blushes, they have no genitals. The Triumph of Art and Letters was meant to have been the 19th century’s answer to the marble frieze that Lord Elgin ‘rescued’ from the Parthenon, one of several iconic buildings depicted in the frieze in acknowledgement by the architects of the Albert Hall that it, too, was joining their ranks. Turn the page for a guide to the frieze’s seven appointed artists and their extraordinary work.
Who were the seven artists of The Triumph of Art and Letters?
EJ POYNTER (1836-1919)
Various Nations Arrive for the Great Exhibition 1851 (Door 6)
Poynter designed the first section, in which the nations, led by cherubs, arrive in London laden with local produce for the show. Liberty leads America’s parade, having unshackled the African-American, struggling with his cotton bale. She is carrying his chains in her right hand. The Native American, who could not have foreseen how trendy his hairstyle would become, brings tobacco in a peace pipe. Poynter, later knighted, was the first Slade professor of art at University College London, and President of the Royal Academy.
EDWARD ARMITAGE (1817-1896)
Philosophers, Sages and Students (Door 3)
Armitage got the student panel, and to show what a forward-looking Victorian he was, included girls. Girton College, Cambridge, the first women’s university, was established only the year before in 1870. Note how Armitage depicts the student body in improbable rapt attention, leaning on the globe, absorbing every nugget, not lying in bed or clutching bowls of cereal. One boy, attending a lecture on fossils, is even taking notes with a quill, while demure handmaids distribute academic awards. Armitage was the official artist of the Crimean War but attracted criticism from people who felt his pictures too bloodthirsty for a civilised nation.
WF YEAMES (1835-1918)
Workers in Stone, Workers in Wood and Brick, Architecture (Doors 10 & 11)
Yeames, given Architecture, depicted St Paul’s Cathedral with Charles II and his spaniel congratulating the architect Wren. As identifiable figures, they are unusual in the frieze, which is mostly dedicated to anonymous workers. In fact, Yeames ironically features the real labourers behind the king’s back, one hauling a bucket, another constructing scaffolding. Yeames’s intention was also to place the new Hall in the context of other domed buildings shown in the frieze, including Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. English Gothic is represented by Peterborough Cathedral, the haulers and hod-carriers passing a Celtic cross before it.
HS MARKS (1829-1898)
Agriculture, Horticulture and Land Surveying, Astronomy and Navigation
(Doors 1 & 2)
Marks interpreted Agriculture, Horticulture and Land Surveying as ‘taming the land’. A surveyor shows his plans for an earthwork, but even close to, it rather looks like he is wearing a pair of false breasts. Behind him, Romans decide the fate of some captives. An imperial nation extends its boundaries and civilises populations. Marks would eventually become famous for his bird and animal paintings for which he spent hours at the newly opened London Zoo with his friend John Ruskin. The livestock here anticipates this later career. Tradition records that Galileo is the telescope tutor in the neighbouring panel, although the frieze gives no clue to this.
JC HORSLEY (1817-1903)
Engineering (Door 4)
Horsley exalted Great Britain in his Engineering panel, showing Stephenson’s Rocket steam train, three Victorian gents mapping out territory, and telegraph wires running through the panel as if visually connecting the world. He is the only one of the artists to have signed his work and dated it (1869). Just off to the side of the section pictured here, sweating miners deliver combustible rocks to a furnace. One swigs water from a beaker and mops his brow. A team handles the molten steel with sensibly long tongs. Horsley is famous for creating the first Christmas card and, significantly, denouncing contemporary paintings of the nude, a trend borrowed from the Paris salon in the 1880s, for which Punch magazine wittily nicknamed him ‘Clothes Horsley’.
HH ARMSTEAD (1828-1905)
The Mechanical Powers (Door 4)
Armstead depicts Mechanical Power through the muscular energy of men operating levers, wielding sledge hammers or powering a wine press, vulnerably in the nude. Their lack of private parts is the oddest idea in the frieze, a strange compromise between truth and modesty. Did Horsley intervene? Armstead’s admiration for the human form led him into sculpture and he was responsible for 80 of the bas relief carvings on the Albert Memorial.
FR PICKERSGILL (1820-1900)
Music, Sculpture, Painting (Doors 7 & 8), Infancy of the Arts and Sciences (above south porch), Pottery and Glass-making (Door 5)
Pickersgill was known for painting historical subjects, and here he depicts early instruments – a vihuela, a valveless trumpet, a tambour, a Celtic harp, a lute. For this reason too, perhaps, he was given the Infancy of Arts and Sciences panel, in which he shows artists decorating a boat, fashioning a reed pipe, and more. He returns to clay in the last panel, Pottery and Glass-making, in which increasingly refined objects culminate in the glass-blower’s art before Poynter comes round again.
Authors
Rick Jones is a freelance journalist and Blue Badge London tour guide. He studied singing and lute playing as a postgraduate at the Royal College of Music, before becoming a music critic and journalist. He was the chief music critic for the Evening Standard from 1992 to 2002 and now writes for titles including BBC Music Magazine, Washington Post, Sunday Times, Independent, Daily Mail and Time Out.
Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
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The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”
On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”
The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.
Blaze in the West Wing
The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.
About Somerset House
Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.
Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.
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