The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 14, 2025
The Vine
1852
(British, 1805–1881)
Sheet: 30 x 22 cm (11 13/16 x 8 11/16 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Lister 5
Location: Not on view
Description
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.- 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. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 112-114, fig. 1 www.jstor.org
- Fairy Tales and Fables: Illustration and Storytelling in Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 4-September 8, 2024).The Birth and Flowering of British Romantic Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 1-July 22, 1990).Two Hundred Years of British Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 9, 1984-February 3, 1985).The Vocabulary of Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 29-December 31, 1975).Samuel Palmer Etchings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 29-June 6, 1967).
- {{cite web|title=The Vine|url=false|author=Samuel Palmer|year=1852|access-date=14 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1966.185