European "Sing a Song of Sixpence" Painting (1766)

About Auction

Live

Exceptional Antiquities, Ethnographic and Fin...

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 29, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-06-29 10:00:00 2023-06-29 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Ethnographic and Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-and-fine-art-13031
Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (339)

• Lot Description
  European "Sing a Song of Sixpence" painting, oil on board, 1766. Artist's initials and date inscribed at lower right corner. A very special painting inspired by "Sing a Song of Sixpence" - a classic English nursery rhyme thought to have originated in the 18th century albeit with origins in the 17th century. (For more about the origins and history of the rhyme, see the extended description below.) The artist presents a raucous group of young men dressed in clownlike costumes, some slicing and serving the famous blackbird pie to the king who holds his hands to his ears as a flock of blackbirds flaps and squawks around him. A special 18th century painting that perfectly captures the whimsical nature of this classic nursery rhyme, mounted in an attractive gilded frame. Note: the gilding on the frame and pigments of the painting were tested via x-ray flourescence. The gilding contains 58% to 79% gold and the pigments are consistent with the period of this painting. Size (sight view): 9.3" L x 7.7" W (23.6 cm x 19.6 cm) Size (frame): 17.3" L x 15.625" W (43.9 cm x 39.7 cm)
  
  A bit about the history of "Sing a Song of Sixpence": Some have pointed to early 17th sources for the origins of the rhyme such as Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" (ca. 1602) when Sir Toby Belch tells a clown, "Come on; there is sixpence for you: let's have a song" as well as Beaumont and Fletcher's play "Bonduca" (1614) which includes the line, "Whoa, here's a stir now! Sing a song o' sixpence!". In the 18th century, George Steevens (1736-1800) used the rhyme in a pun that jabbed at poet laureate Henry James Pye (1745-1813) in 1790; however the first verse had already been published in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book (London ca. 1744) as follows:
  
  Sing a Song of Sixpence,
  
  A bag full of Rye,
  
  Four and twenty
  
  Naughty boys,
  
  Bak'd in a Pye.
  
  However, the subsequent published version in 1780 verses were added and "blackbirds" replaced those "naughty boys". One of the verses went as follows:
  
  "When the pie was opened,
  
  The birds began to sing;
  
  Was not that a dainty dish,
  
  To set before the king?" Interestingly, this painting is dated 1766 and predates that publication, suggesting that the substitution of "blackbirds" for "naughty boys" occurred at least 14 years prior to the 1780 publication.
  
  Provenance: private Rancho Mirage, California, USA collection, by inheritance in 2020; ex-Dr. TDR Berreth, California, USA, acquired before 1982
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #179067

  Condition

  Artist's initials and date inscribed at lower right corner. Date is 1766. Initials are difficult to decipher. Painting is in very good overall condition with vibrant pigments and vivid imagery. Frame has some age wear with areas of loss to corners, peripheries, and high pointed areas. Fit with suspension wire. The gilding on the frame and pigments of the painting were tested via x-ray flourescence. The gilding contains 58% to 79% gold and the pigments are consistent with the period of this painting.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 26.50 %