{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O131326"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O131326/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH7520/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH7520/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH7520","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KB2998","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O131326/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O131326","accessionNumber":"1012-1886","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Very Important: A Man Writing at a Table","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Painting of a male figure sitting at a table which is covered in green cloth, writing using a quill. He is wearing black robes with a white shirt. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Haines, William Henry","id":"A18610"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"panel","id":"AAT14657"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Oil on panel","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006BH7520","2017KB2998"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"B","id":"THES304884"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1878","earliest":"1878-01-01","latest":"1878-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Joshua Dixon","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"10","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"8","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Measurement taken at time of assessment prior to BH decant - Frame Dimensions (mm): H-460 W-420 D-70;\nPainting Dimensions (mm): not measured"}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from <i>Summary catalogue of British Paintings</i>, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1973","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'W H Haines 1878'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed and dated by the artist"}],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed by Joshua Dixon, 1886\n\nHistorical significance: William Henry Haines (1812-1884) was a London-based landscape and genre painter. He exhibited from 1843 to 1884 at the Society of British Artists, the British Institution and the Royal Academy  (1848-81). According to Christopher Wood, 'he is also known to have painted views of Venice in the manner of Canaletto and Guardi, which were passed off as originals.' (Christopher Wood, <u>Dictionary of Victorian Painters</u>, 1971, p.57.)\r\n\r\nThis painting, <u>Very Important</u>, shows a middle-aged man in 18th century dress sitting at a desk and writing with a quill pen, with an expression of concentration on his face. Both the title and period detail are suggestive of a background narrative (who is this man? what is 'very important'?) without actually supplying it.  \n\nThe painting was no. 279 at the 1879 Society of British Artists, priced at £12.\r\n\r\nThis painting was bequeathed to the V&A by Joshua Dixon (1811-1885), a successful cotton merchant. In addition to oil paintings, watercolours and drawings, his collection also included engravings, Japanese vases and panels, and bronze and marble sculpture. Born in Dalston, north-east London, Dixon died on his estate of Winslade Park in Somerset and left his collection initially to the Bethnal Green Museum, which is part of the V&A, for the 'benefit of the people of East London.'","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Oil painting, 'Very Important - A Man Writing at a Table', William Henry Haines, 1878","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1012-1886"],"accessionNumberNum":"1012","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1886,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-23","recordCreationDate":"2007-02-05","availableToBook":true}}