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Lot Essay
... Beauty's living image, like the Morn
That wakes in Zephyr's arms the blushing May,
Moves onward; or as Venus, when she stood
Effulgent on the pearly car, and smild
Fresh from the deep, and conscious of her form,
To see the tritons tune their vocal shells,
And each cerulean sister of the flood
With loud acclaim attend her oer the waves
To see the Idalian bower...
Mark Akenside (1721-1770) The Pleasures of Imagination, 1744 (1772 edition, rev. 1805), Book 1, p.27 ll. 329-335.
Both the artist and the subject of this oil painting remained unidentified until a small, rapid pencil sketch showing a closely related subject was found in an album of pencil sketches in the British Museum (201 * a.20, no. 1993 5. 8.1-130; no. 91). Of particular note, beneath the subject, was a pencil inscription 'Akenside Book 1st'. The links between the small pencil sketch, the - until now unknown - creator of the sizeable picture, the lines from Mark Akenside's book The Pleasures of Imagination, (as seen above) catalogued in the 1800 Royal Academy exhibition, make the attribution to Dayes unquestionable.
Dayes was an intriguing artist, though, ultimately, an unsuccessful one. Born in 1763, he became a Royal Academy student but never an Academy Associate. Between 1786-1804, he exhibited at the Academy mostly topographical subjects - drawings and watercolours. In 1799, he started, tentatively, it would seem, working in oil. Frustratingly, the only known survivor of his work in this medium appears to be the 1800 The Triumph of Beauty. Clearly, he was developing both an interest in history painting and aspirations to The Grand Style, its biblical, classical and literary subject matter being much to his taste and ambition.
Venus stands on a conch shell. A fine silk gown winds around her graceful lines. Beside her is the naked Cupid with his amatory bow and arrow; a winged cherub, piping harmoniously, can be seen in the clouds to the viewer's left. The three Graces are first seen overawed and surprised by Venus' sudden presence: their love for her will endure. Two muscular tritons, half-man, half-fish, are trumpeting through their shells in celebration of the creation of Venus.
The goddess, her face now splendid in profile, has risen from the waters and is poised at the prow, moving toward the calming coast, urged on by the tritons. Venus (Aphrodite in Greek - the Greek word for foam or froth being Aphros) is seen wringing water from her gilded hair as she nears the shore.
Evidence of Dayes' careful attention to Book One of Akensides The Pleasures of Imagination (we know that the artist had a copy of the book) is manifest in the painting. Akenside's sensibility enabled Dayes to shape and confirm his approach to his art. 'Thus was Beauty sent from Heaven/The lovely Ministress of Truth and Good/In this dark World (ie Venus); For Truth and Good are One.' (p.28, ll. 272-4). Dayes, a devout Christian, was also drawn to the pious reverence for nature in Akenside's work eg 'The Sire Omnipotent unfolds The world's harmonious volume' (p.18, l.91).
The artist's bold title, The Triumph of Beauty, was Dayes' extraordinary way of asserting how he read art, understood it and demonstrated his thoughts about it. It is rare for any artist to claim aesthetic 'Triumph' as the subject of his work. However, Dayes' ambitious portrayal, in oils, of his devotion to 'Truth' and 'Good' seems to have brought the artist little critical attention. Indeed, this was true of his artistic output over many years. Exhibitions at the time were always highly competitive. With The Triumph of Beauty Dayes set out to catch the eye but he failed. He attempted one further Triumph for the Royal Academy exhibition in 1803. It was about King Saul. David had been more successful in battle than the King. Saul became increasingly jealous of David. When the Philistines attacked Israel again, Saul was wounded, took his own sword and fell upon it. (Samuel 1, chs. 18 and 31). David was made King. Dayes exhibited one further work in 1804 but, like his 'Triumphs', it also failed to impress. Repeated such failures told on his mental stability and, in May 1804, he committed suicide.
(For further reference, see D. Brown, Edward Dayes, Historical Draughtsman, Old Water-Colour Society's Club, LXII, 1991, pp. 12-20.)
We are very grateful to Robin Hamlyn for providing us with this catalogue entry.
That wakes in Zephyr's arms the blushing May,
Moves onward; or as Venus, when she stood
Effulgent on the pearly car, and smild
Fresh from the deep, and conscious of her form,
To see the tritons tune their vocal shells,
And each cerulean sister of the flood
With loud acclaim attend her oer the waves
To see the Idalian bower...
Mark Akenside (1721-1770) The Pleasures of Imagination, 1744 (1772 edition, rev. 1805), Book 1, p.27 ll. 329-335.
Both the artist and the subject of this oil painting remained unidentified until a small, rapid pencil sketch showing a closely related subject was found in an album of pencil sketches in the British Museum (201 * a.20, no. 1993 5. 8.1-130; no. 91). Of particular note, beneath the subject, was a pencil inscription 'Akenside Book 1st'. The links between the small pencil sketch, the - until now unknown - creator of the sizeable picture, the lines from Mark Akenside's book The Pleasures of Imagination, (as seen above) catalogued in the 1800 Royal Academy exhibition, make the attribution to Dayes unquestionable.
Dayes was an intriguing artist, though, ultimately, an unsuccessful one. Born in 1763, he became a Royal Academy student but never an Academy Associate. Between 1786-1804, he exhibited at the Academy mostly topographical subjects - drawings and watercolours. In 1799, he started, tentatively, it would seem, working in oil. Frustratingly, the only known survivor of his work in this medium appears to be the 1800 The Triumph of Beauty. Clearly, he was developing both an interest in history painting and aspirations to The Grand Style, its biblical, classical and literary subject matter being much to his taste and ambition.
Venus stands on a conch shell. A fine silk gown winds around her graceful lines. Beside her is the naked Cupid with his amatory bow and arrow; a winged cherub, piping harmoniously, can be seen in the clouds to the viewer's left. The three Graces are first seen overawed and surprised by Venus' sudden presence: their love for her will endure. Two muscular tritons, half-man, half-fish, are trumpeting through their shells in celebration of the creation of Venus.
The goddess, her face now splendid in profile, has risen from the waters and is poised at the prow, moving toward the calming coast, urged on by the tritons. Venus (Aphrodite in Greek - the Greek word for foam or froth being Aphros) is seen wringing water from her gilded hair as she nears the shore.
Evidence of Dayes' careful attention to Book One of Akensides The Pleasures of Imagination (we know that the artist had a copy of the book) is manifest in the painting. Akenside's sensibility enabled Dayes to shape and confirm his approach to his art. 'Thus was Beauty sent from Heaven/The lovely Ministress of Truth and Good/In this dark World (ie Venus); For Truth and Good are One.' (p.28, ll. 272-4). Dayes, a devout Christian, was also drawn to the pious reverence for nature in Akenside's work eg 'The Sire Omnipotent unfolds The world's harmonious volume' (p.18, l.91).
The artist's bold title, The Triumph of Beauty, was Dayes' extraordinary way of asserting how he read art, understood it and demonstrated his thoughts about it. It is rare for any artist to claim aesthetic 'Triumph' as the subject of his work. However, Dayes' ambitious portrayal, in oils, of his devotion to 'Truth' and 'Good' seems to have brought the artist little critical attention. Indeed, this was true of his artistic output over many years. Exhibitions at the time were always highly competitive. With The Triumph of Beauty Dayes set out to catch the eye but he failed. He attempted one further Triumph for the Royal Academy exhibition in 1803. It was about King Saul. David had been more successful in battle than the King. Saul became increasingly jealous of David. When the Philistines attacked Israel again, Saul was wounded, took his own sword and fell upon it. (Samuel 1, chs. 18 and 31). David was made King. Dayes exhibited one further work in 1804 but, like his 'Triumphs', it also failed to impress. Repeated such failures told on his mental stability and, in May 1804, he committed suicide.
(For further reference, see D. Brown, Edward Dayes, Historical Draughtsman, Old Water-Colour Society's Club, LXII, 1991, pp. 12-20.)
We are very grateful to Robin Hamlyn for providing us with this catalogue entry.