{"meta":{"version":"2.0","images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM3599/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM3599/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM3599","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM3598","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O78677/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O78677","accessionNumber":"P.19-1975","objectType":"Watercolour box","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Object Type
This watercolour box contains watercolours in cakes, quill pens, graphite and brushes, all ready for instant use.
People
Thomas and William Reeves (later the firm of Reeves & Woodyer), were 'artists' colourmen', as suppliers of art materials were then called. They realized that there was an increasing and lucrative market for boxes such as this one. In 1780 they had introduced commercially-prepared cakes or pans of watercolour, which were inexpensive, portable and easy to use. The colours were already prepared and formed into cakes with a binding medium, thus avoiding the messy and tedious preparation of pigments that had been necessary hitherto. Some artists still relied on the traditional method of grinding their own colours and mixing their own solutions of natural gum in water, but these improvements in solid colour-cake manufacture had rendered the practice unnecessary.
Technique
At the beginning of the 19th century, watercolour painting was a polite accomplishment for young men and women. This enabled otherwise impoverished artists to make a living as drawing-masters to the children of wealthy families.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour box, containing watercolours in cakes, quill-pens, graphite, brushes etc. ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Reeves and Woodyer","id":"A9198"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood, paper and mixed materials including pigments","categories":[{"text":"Tools & Equipment","id":"THES48883"},{"text":"SCRAN","id":"THES48897"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AM3599","2006AM3598"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"120 (VA)","id":"THES49226"},"free":"","case":"CA15","shelf":"","box":"8"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tools and Materials","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1820","earliest":"1815-01-01","latest":"1824-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Miss Pamela Hodges","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"21.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"10.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions checked: Registered Description; 01/01/1998 by KN","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Made by Reeves & Woodyer, 80 Holborn Bridge, London","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour box, containing watercolours in cakes, quill-pens, graphite, brushes etc. Manufactured by W J Reeves and Woodyer, 80 Holborn Bridge, London, ca. 1820. ","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lambert, Susan. Drawing: Technique & Purpose. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1981. p.20."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"British Galleries:\nAs watercolour painting became increasingly popular among fashionable young men and women, suppliers of art materials such as Reeves & Woodyer in London began to sell portable paint boxes. Colours were pre-formed into cakes with a binding medium, avoiding the messy preparation previously needed.","date":{"text":"27/03/2003","earliest":"2003-03-27","latest":"2003-03-27"}}],"partNumbers":["P.19-1975"],"accessionNumberNum":"19","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1975,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN0474","2019LN3237","2019LN3241","2019LP9225","2019LP2447","2019LP1422","2019LR6106","2019LU8683","2019LV6445"],"recordModificationDate":"2022-09-20","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-27"}}