Early 20th Century “Dante and Beatrice” Color Print After Henry Holiday in Carved Wood Frame

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Early 20th-century color print after British artist Henry Holiday’s celebrated 1883 painting Dante and Beatrice, presented under glass in a … Read more Early 20th-century color print after British artist Henry Holiday’s celebrated 1883 painting Dante and Beatrice, presented under glass in a richly carved and timeworn wood frame.

Holiday’s original depicts a scene from Dante Alighieri’s La Vita Nuova, in which Beatrice encounters Dante along the Arno in Florence but refuses his greeting. Dante stands at right while Beatrice and her companions pass before him, with the Ponte Vecchio and the architecture of medieval Florence forming the background.

The color reproduction retains the wonderfully muted palette and remarkable architectural and figural detail of Holiday’s composition. It is especially appealing in its substantial period wood frame, with carved foliate ornament, a dark reddish-brown finish and extensive age-related rubbing and finish loss that reveal the warm wood beneath.

The reverse retains an old backing board secured with numerous nails/brads and early hanging hardware. Construction, materials and overall wear are consistent with an older framing package. Exact date and publisher of the print are unknown; we estimate the piece to date to the early 20th century.

A large, atmospheric piece with a distinctly English Pre-Raphaelite sensibility and an unusually compelling old frame.

Dimensions:
25.6 in. W × 19.25 in. H × 1.4 in. D See less