{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O69838"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O69838/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AU1996/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AU1996/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AU1996","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AU1995","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AU1994","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O69838/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O69838","accessionNumber":"78-1904","objectType":"Statuette","titles":[{"title":"Comedy and Tragedy","type":"generic title"},{"title":"Such is life","type":""},{"title":"Sic vita","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This bronze statuette entitled 'Comedy and Tragedy' is by Sir Alfred Gilbert, cast 1891-1892 in Great Britain. It is in the form of a nude boy, with mask thrown up on the fore-head. He is holding another and larger mask. The figure is mounted on a black wooden pedestal.\r\n\r\nSir Alfred Gilbert was a famous British sculptor of the late 19th century. He was also a medallist, goldsmith and draughtsman and was known for his inventiveness and characteristically used various materials in the same work. Upon his many commissions for monuments and memorials is the celebrated Eros figure as part of the Shaftsbury memorial (1885-1893) on Piccadilly Circus.\r\n\r\nAs with the figure of Perseus (77-1904), in his interview given in the Easter Art Annual, Gilbert related this statue to his personal life, as being ' the climax to my cycle of stories...It represents a boy carrying a comic mask. He is stung by a bee - the symbol of love. He turns, and his face becomes tragic. The symbol is in reality fact. I was stung by that bee typified by my love for my art, a consciousness of its incompleteness, my love was not sufficient...I was living a kind of double life at that time, enjoying  the society of Irving and Toole and other famous and pleasant members of the Garrick Club going to the theatre at night, and with Tragedy in my private life, living my Comedy publicly, if not enjoying it'. A one-act play at the Lyceum called Comedy and Tragedy inspired Gilbert, and he furhter states that ' I conceived the notion of harking back to the old Greek stage upon which masks were always worn, and I conceived a kind of stage property boy rushing away in great glee with his comedy mask, and on his way being stung by a bee. This was the only way in which I could present the hidden pain and passion of the boy'.","physicalDescription":"Statuette in the form of a nude boy, with mask thrown up on the fore-head; he is holding another and larger mask. The figure is mounted on a black wooden pedestal.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Gilbert, Alfred (Sir)","id":"A8429"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bronze, cast","categories":[{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Metalwork","id":"THES48920"},{"text":"Myths & Legends","id":"THES49005"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AU1996","2006AU1995","2006AU1994"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES396151"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Statuette","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1891 - ca. 1892","earliest":"1886-01-01","latest":"1896-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"40","unit":"cm","qualifier":"including pedestal","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"3.34","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"In the collection of Alfred Higgins at the time of his death. Purchased at the sale of a collection of plaquettes, statuettes, etc. the property of the late Alfred Higgins, Esq., C.B., held at Christie, Manson & Woods on 29 January 1904, lot 38. Purchased for £62 2s (£68 7s including commission).","historicalContext":"As with the figure of Perseus (77-1904), in his interview given in the Easter Art Annual, Gilbert related this statue to his personal life, as being ' the climax to my cycle of stories...It represents a boy carrying a comic mask. He is stung by a bee - the symbol of love. He turns, and his face becomes tragic. The symbol is in reality fact. I was stung by that bee typified by my love for my art, a consciousness of its incompleteness, my love was not sufficient...I was living a kind of double life at that time, enjoying  the society of Irving and Toole and other famous and pleasant members of the Garrick Club going to the theatre at night, and with Tragedy in my private life, living my Comedy publicly, if not enjoying it'. A one-act play at the Lyceum called Comedy and Tragedy inspired Gilbert, and he furhter states that ' I conceived the notion of harking back to the old Greek stage upon which masks were always worn, and I conceived a kind of stage property boy rushing away in great glee with his comedy mask, and on his way being stung by a bee. This was the only way in which I could present the hidden pain and passion of the boy'.","briefDescription":"Statuette, bronze, Comedy & Tragedy: 'Sic Vita', by Alfred Gilbert, English, ca. 1891-2","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jonathan Marsden,<u> European Sculpture in the Collection of His Majesty the King</u>, London, 2025, vol. IV, pp. 279-280, 1284."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Dorment, Richard, <u>Alfred Gilbert, Sculptor and Goldsmith</u>, London: Royal Academy Catalogue, 1986, pp. 116-8\r\n\r\n<u>Sir Alfred Gilbert and The New Sculpture, British Sculpture 1850-1930.</u> London: The Fine Art Society, 2008, pp. 40-4"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. <u>British Sculpture 1470-2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002, p. 278-9, cat.no. 425"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Curtis, P. and Friedman, T., eds. <u>Leeds' Sculpture Collections: Illustrated Concise Catalogue</u>. Leeds, 1996, p. 14"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Penny, Nicholas. <u>Catalogue of European Sculpture in the Ashmolean Museum</u>, III, Oxford, 1992, p. 83"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Cox, Machell E., <u>Commemorative Catalogue of an exhibition of models and designs by the late Sir Alfred Gilbert R.A.</u>, exh. cat., Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Oxford, 1936, p. 17"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"McAllister, I. G., <u>Alfred Gilbert</u>, London, 1929, p. 88"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Years 1903 - 1904. <u>In</u>: <u>List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, During the Year 1904, Arranged According to the Dates of  Acquisition with Appendix and Indices</u>. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Wyman and Sons, Limited, 1908, p. 15"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"mask","id":"x30067"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"tragedy","id":"AAT55916"},{"text":"comedy","id":"AAT55911"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Comedy and Tragedy"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["78-1904"],"accessionNumberNum":"78","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1904,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-28","recordCreationDate":"2002-11-11","availableToBook":true}}