UK’s ‘most romantic work of art’ (From Daily Echo)
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UK’s ‘most romantic work of art’
5:34pm Monday 13th February 2012 in Entertainments
A PAINTING of Romeo and Juliet hanging in Southampton’s municipal gallery has been voted the most romantic work of art on display in the UK.
The oil painting by Sir Frank Dicksee topped a vote conducted by pollsters YouGov on behalf of the Art Fund.
It found 71 per cent of people thought the canvas, tucked away in a corner of Southampton City Art Gallery, was the most romantic work of art currently on display in UK museums and galleries.
But it divided opinion among gallery visitors with some hailing it as beautiful while others called it clichéd.
The scene is the parting of Romeo and Juliet after their wedding night and the last time they will see each other alive.
Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss, on display in Kent, came second in the poll, which surveyed 2,030 adults.
Southampton City Council’s 3,500-piece art collection, valued at around £180m, is internationally renowned and considered the fourth most significant outside London, Birmingham and Manchester. It boasts works by Turner, Lowry and Monet although most of the sprawling collection is hidden in council vaults.
Conservative council leaders attracted national controversy when they proposed raising £5m towards the city’s £15m Titanic themed SeaCity Museum by selling off work by Rodin and British painter Sir Alfred Munnings.
Tim Craven, lead curatorial officer for Southampton City Council, said: "I knew that we would be in with a good chance of winning this Art Fund competition with Sir Frank Dicksee’s Romeo and Juliet.
"It is a superb painting on a grand scale and has always been popular with regular Gallery visitors. It was bequeathed to the City Council by Mr J J Crossfield of Embley Park, Romsey in 1941."
Comments(4)
Rob444
says...
6:21pm Mon 13 Feb 12
beaudog wrote:The report will make this artwork a prime target for a tory sell-off. They like a good business opportunity, especially when it comes to selling something they don't own (e.g., British Steel, CEGB, British Railways, etc.).
How lovely - but curious that this is by the Politics & Business reporter? Maybe they are feeling particulary romantic in that team today......
Goldenwight
says...
9:18am Tue 14 Feb 12
Personally, I wouldn't give this painting houseroom.
loosehead
says...
11:28am Tue 14 Feb 12
The left & Art buffs lambased this idea & fought to stop it & won
None of the pieces had been on display for years & were in the vaults.
besides these people I wonder who else would have worried about the sale?
as it is other finance has been found the Police station has moved & space has been found to extend the art gallery & put more pieces on display.
This has been achieved by a TORY council against Left wing opposition.
what with pieces like this & the new Sea City Museum next door Tourists & visitors will have two places alongside of each other to see.
Yet we have a post on here that goes on about the Tories selling British Steel etc ? why didn't the last Labour Government not re-nationalise them? why were they going to sell off the Royal Mail?
the Nationalised Industries ended up being a nightmare with Unions seeing it as an open ended offer to take strike action over anything as the Labour Government wouldn't shut the plant would they? Just remember British Leyland & Red Robbo & see why that form of government control had to stop
beaudog says...
6:13pm Mon 13 Feb 12