The Vine (1852): Art, History and Details

The Vine (1852) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Samuel Palmer (British, 1805–1881).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This early proof (an impression created while the artist is still working on the design) by Samuel Palmer features his illustrations before the accompanying text for Songs and Ballads of Shakespeare was printed. Both images relate to a drinking song featured in act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, praising Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, and his products. Palmer’s handwritten notes describe modifications he was planning to make. Palmer started to work in prints late in his career but quickly became accomplished in the medium. His imagery is characterized by juxtaposing delicate textures and dramatic lights and shadows, as seen here in the contrast between the radiant Bacchus and those making and enjoying the drink.

Object facts

• Title: The Vine
• Date: 1852
• Creator attribution: Samuel Palmer (British, 1805–1881)
• Culture: England, 19th century
• Type: Print
• Technique: etching
• Dimensions: Sheet: 30 x 22 cm (11 13/16 x 8 11/16 in.)
• Collection: PR - Etching
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1966.185

Collection credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams, presented in honor of Henry Sayles Francis, Curator of Prints

Further reading listed by the museum

• Richards, Louise S. “Samuel Palmer: Poet of the Etching Needle.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 54, no. 4 (April 1967): 111–119.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.