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Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Orpheus Piano




1879
with a sketch of Georgina playing it

5 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the photograph of the Orpheus piano. Just beautiful.

    I had found the delightful sketch of Georgiana a couple of months ago and posted about it (the second entry in the link below). The first entry shows what is described as a "modest instrument" (though, of course it is wonderful) now at the V&A that I think is the one Georgiana is shown playing?
    http://gather-ye-rosebuds-while-ye-may.blogspot.com/search/label/Burne-Jones%20Family%20piano

    I believe the piano in a showcase at the middle back of this photo from the V&A Museum is that piano? -http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture/galleries/40a/index.html

    (or am I wrong about this)

    I recently read that the gallery of musical instruments at the V&A may sadly close next month ...
    http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23795043-music-is-the-loser-in-this-v-and-a-gallery-shake-up.do

    Thanks again, it was lovely to see the photograph.

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  2. Thanks Cathy.
    I've been to that room but not for some years and according to a note on a Christie's auction catalogue it is in a private collection:

    http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=2067827

    Really enjoyed your comment.

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  3. I guess I'm just not sure the Orpheus piano and the one Georgiana is shown playing in the drawing are the same ones. :)

    The title 'The Orpheus Piano' .... is followed with the note below the drawing, "with a sketch of Georgina playing it". I'm not sure she's playing the Orpheus piano ... her's seems to be an upright. :) Like the one in the back showcase here ...
    http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture/galleries/40a/

    Oh well ... :) All the best.

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  4. Thanks Cathy,
    I wondered exactly that about the piano she is playing but according to 'Burne-Jones' by Christopher Wood it is the same. But I wondered if he decorated more than one family piano - more than likely. I know one of their pianos was given to them as a wedding present and the Orpheus was designed by BJ which sounds separate.

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  5. Yes, the catalogue notes for the drawing mention the wedding present: "The piano she plays in our drawing is reminiscent of the small upright, made by Priestly of Berners Street in unpolished American walnut, which was given to her as a wedding present and decorated by Burne-Jones. The instrument is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum."
    http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4860506&sid=708dfeaa-a79e-406f-b4a8-6fe916f7013b

    They don't have a photograph of the piano at the V&A website that I could find ...
    http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58869/piano/

    But, this is included ...
    http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture/musical_instruments/objects/object.php?action=go&id=48&id2=0&hits=&page=&pages=&object_type=&country=&start_year=0&end_year=1960&object=piano&artist=

    ... in the 'Musical Instruments from the Collections' section -
    http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture/musical_instruments/objects/index.php?action=go&hits=&page=&pages=&object_type=&country=&start_year=0&end_year=1960&object=piano&artist=&maker=

    There is another detail included here ...
    http://gather-ye-rosebuds-while-ye-may.blogspot.com/2009/11/burne-jones-family-piano.html

    Perhaps the drawing is a fanciful rendition of the upright at the V&A, as the decorations are different. :)

    -----------
    ArtMagick shared on their Facebook page about another Burne-Jones piano at the V&A that was commissioned by Alexander Ionides ... http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=272072841146#/photo.php?pid=3162865&id=110191582050
    Lovely!

    (thanks for 'listening' ... take care) :)

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