{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O35677"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O35677/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP5433/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP5433/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NP5433","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O35677","accessionNumber":"E.674-1993","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Triton","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Born in India, Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988) was a British artist, writer and occultist, associated with the Surrealist movement. From 1939, Colquhoun primarily worked with Surrealist ‘automatic’ processes, whereby an element of chance is incorporated into artistic techniques to suppress conscious thought. This is an automatic painting produced through the process of ‘stylomancy’, a form of ‘decalcomania’. Paint is applied to paper, which is folded and then unfolded, revealing a chance symmetrical pattern. Colquhoun uses this pattern to trigger unconscious associations and imagery, which she has worked up with pencil and crosshatching in ballpoint pen. The figure revealed is Triton, the ancient Greek god of the sea, described by the artist in the description as a Telchine, an underwater creature, reflecting the artist’s interest in mythology, magic and occultism. The symmetrical composition also resembles an inkblot test, developed by Swiss psychoanalyst Hermann Rorschach, which Colquhoun mentions in her 1949 essay on automatism ‘The Mantic Stain’.","physicalDescription":"Symmetrical abstract composition of a mythological figure in teal and grey. Watercolour and gouache have been applied to two pieces of paper which have been folded together vertically and then unfolded to create a chance symmetrical pattern. The rounded corners of the paper suggest that paint was applied to two pages of a sketchbook which have been removed and pasted together. Additions in pencil and ballpoint pen have been used to work up the textured abstract shapes into the form of a mythological figure, whose bearded head is depicted in the upper centre of the composition.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Colquhoun, Ithell","id":"A3697"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour painting","id":"THES250889"},{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"decalcomania","id":"AAT53426"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil, and watercolour and gouache laid down on paper watermarked HANDMADE. This technique is ‘stylomancy’, a form of the Surrealist automatic process decalcomania. Paint is applied to paper, which is folded horizontally or vertically and then unfolded, revealing a chance symmetrical pattern. Colquhoun uses this chance pattern to trigger unconscious associations, which she has worked up with pencil and crosshatching in ballpoint pen.  ","categories":[{"text":"Woman Artist","id":"THES387590"},{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"}],"styles":[{"text":"Surrealism","id":"AAT21512"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2023NP5433"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH (VA)","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"WD","shelf":"8","box":"A"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour (painting)","id":"AAT78925"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1971","earliest":"1966-01-01","latest":"1975-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"20.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"size of image","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"size of image","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"23.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"size of support sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"size of support sheet","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"TOP [underlined]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"pencil","method":"handwriting","position":"on the back","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"on the back; handwriting; pencil"},{"content":"(Triton) A Telchine","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"pencil","method":"handwriting","position":"on the back","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"on the back; handwriting; pencil"},{"content":"NT","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"ink","method":"stamped","position":"","script":"","translation":"abbreviation for National Trust","transliteration":"","type":"stamp","note":"stamp; stamped; ink"},{"content":"D/73","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"pencil","method":"handwriting","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"handwriting; pencil"}],"objectHistory":"Purchased in 1993 from the National Trust, which was granted custodianship of Colquhoun's artworks following her death in 1988.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour, 'Triton', by Ithell Colquhoun, watercolour and pencil, ca. 1971","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Shillitoe, Richard, Ithell Colquhoun: Magician Born of Nature. Richard Shillitoe, 2010. No. 926. "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Triton","id":"N149"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.674-1993"],"accessionNumberNum":"674","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1993,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-22","recordCreationDate":"2000-04-17","availableToBook":false}}