The Progress of a Soul: The Stress
About this artwork
This richly coloured and detailed embroidery is the second in a series of four called The Progress of a Soul. Each panel features the same young male character dressed in an animal skin, who represents the human soul. This figure was based on the character of Denys L'Auxerrois from Imaginary Portraits by the English critic and writer Walter Pater. In this panel, The Stress, made between 1895-97, Denys has grown older and wiser to the challenges of life. Nature is now described as ‘red in tooth and claw’ and a reptile is intertwined around his legs, impeding his progress.
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Updated before 2020
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artist:Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852 - 1936) Scottish
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title:The Progress of a Soul: The Stress
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date created:Dated 1897
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materials:Silk and gold thread embroidered on linen
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measurements:180.67 x 71.20 cm (framed: 221.00 x 88.00 x 6.00 cm)
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object type:
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credit line:Bequest of the artist 1936
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accession number:NG 1865 B
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gallery:
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subject:
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glossary:
Phoebe Anna Traquair
Phoebe Anna Traquair
Traquair's murals, easel paintings, embroideries, book illustrations and jewellery brought her international recognition, as one of the most accomplished artists of the Arts and Crafts movement. She was originally from Dublin but moved to Edinburgh after her marriage to Dr Ramsay Traquair, Keeper...