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William Edward Frost, 1810–1877, British, The Three Graces, 1856
- Title:
- The Three Graces
- Former Title(s):
- The Graces [1856, Royal Academy of Arts, London, exhibition catalogue]
- Date:
- 1856
- Materials & Techniques:
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions:
- 36 1/4 × 28 3/8 inches (92.1 × 72.1 cm), Frame: 44 1/2 × 38 1/4 inches (113 × 97.2 cm)
- Credit Line:
- Yale Center for British Art, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Melville P. Roberts
- Copyright Status:
- Public Domain
- Accession Number:
- B1998.24.3
- Classification:
- Paintings
- Collection:
- Paintings and Sculpture
- Link to Frame:
- B1998.24.3FR
- Subject Terms:
- allegory | beauty | charm | children | dance | fabric | female | flowers (plants) | garden | Graces (Charites), generally three in number; 'Gratie' (Ripa) | joy | landscape | Neo-Classical | nude | nudes | religious and mythological subject | sash | silk | women
- Access:
- Not on view
- Link:
- https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:13696
- Export:
- XML
- IIIF Manifest:
- JSON
In Greek mythology, the Three Graces were the daughters of Zeus, the king of the gods, and the sea nymph Eurynome. They also were the handmaidens of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and were themselves considered to be the personification of charm, grace, and beauty. Frost was a follower of the Royal Academician William Etty and, like his mentor, frequently made use of mythological and allegorical subject matter as a pretext for depicting female nudity. Although Frost’s Graces may appear more Victorian than classical in their physiognomy and coiffure, his nudes in general were considered to be more idealized and refined in appearance than those of Etty. In addition, unlike Etty, who reversed the formula in his own earlier painting of the same subject, Frost followed traditional iconography, depicting the central figure standing with her back turned while the flanking Graces face outward toward the viewer. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016
Connections (Yale Center for British Art, 2011-05-26 - 2011-09-11) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]
Figuring Women - The Female in Modern British Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2008-03-28 - 2008-06-08) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]
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