{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O134303"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O134303/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM5489/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BM5489/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BM5489","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KY8464","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O134303/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O134303","accessionNumber":"FA.181[O]","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Gil Blas introducing himself to Laura","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Oil painting depicting the character Gil Blas on bended knee, introducing himself to the character of Laura, from the picaresque novel by Lesage, 'Gil Blas'.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Simson, William","id":"A19207"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"canvas","id":"AAT14078"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Oil on canvas","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"},{"text":"Victorian","id":"x29321"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2007BM5489","2018KY8464"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"A","id":"THES304492"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"AAT54216"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1840","earliest":"1840-01-01","latest":"1840-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"91.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"67.8","unit":"cm","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-1048 W-852 D-45;\nPainting Dimensions (mm): not measured"}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from <i>Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860</i>, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought directly from the artist in 1839 for 100 guineas (See orbituary on the artist in The Scotsman, September 18, 1847); given by John Sheepshanks, 1857.\r\n\r\nThis painting appeared in the exhibition <u>Charles Dickens: An exhibition to celebrate the centenary of his death</u> held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, June-September 1970. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Oil painting by William Simson entitled 'Gil Blas Introducing Himself to Laura' (from Le Sage, 'Gil Blas', Book 3, Chapter 5).  Great Britain, 1840.  ","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860</i>, Ronald Parkinson, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1990, pp. 265-66"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>The Scotsman</u>, 18 September, 1847"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Victoria and Albert Museum <u>Charles Dickens: An exhibition to celebrate the centenary of his death</u> London: HMSO, 1970. P.3. Catalogue of the exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, June-September 1970. "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Alain Lesage, <i>Gil Blas</i>"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["FA.181[O]"],"accessionNumberNum":"181","accessionNumberPrefix":"FA","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-07","recordCreationDate":"2007-04-30","availableToBook":true}}