Teachers' Information

This panel is carved from 4 planks of wood joined together. The surface is carved in high and low relief – in other words, with different depths of cutting so that some elements appear closer to the viewer than others. Some areas of the design (such as the wine bottles) are undercut to enhance the effect of shadow and thus the sense of perspective. This panel, and the others in the set to which it belongs, were made in France in the 18th century, and were brought to Waddesdon Manor by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild from Paris in order to create the luxurious interiors for which the house is famous.

The decoration shows various objects assembled together in what is known as a trophy. This one represents Autumn, and the other three in the set Spring, Summer and Winter. The Seasons were popular subjects in the 18th century, as an idealised reminder of what was seen as the natural, innocent pleasures of country life. Designers made drawings of trophies like this one which could then be used for all sorts of objects – panelling, as here, but also for tapestries, on furniture, silver, painted on porcelain or carved in stone. Here, Autumn is represented by the symbols of the grape harvest and wine making, with a basket overflowing with grapes, wicker-covered  bottles, goblets and a jug below and a pair of sickles above, all hanging from a bow of ribbon and wreathed about with tendrils of vine. Behind the basket are a crossed pine-cone headed stick (a thyrsus) and a rough staff, both symbols of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, and his followers. The skill of the carver lies in the level of detail and the way in which he has suggested all the different materials of the objects – the softness of cloth, the plump, shiny grapes, the rough surface of the basket and the fluttering ribbon.

Originally, the panels were painted, but this was removed in the 19th century when the taste of the time was for dark wood, often picked out with gilded details.

Activities

1. This panel symbolises Autumn. Ask the class to think what objects might be included in the design for the other seasons (Spring – gardening implements (a rake, shears, spade, hoe, long-handled pruning seceteurs, a watering can, a basket of spring flowers), Summer – the harvest (sheaves of corn, a hat, a scythe and pitchfork,  sickles, a beer barrel and water flask) and Winter – indoor pastimes, music, theatre and dance (a viol and lute, a recorder and tambourine, a flaming torch and theatrical masks). Ask them to design their own seasonal trophies reflecting modern activities. This could be done by cutting images out of magazines and creating collages.

2. Think about the different properties of wood and how different woods are used for different kinds of objects – for example, oak (which is very strong and densely grained) is used structurally in furniture, but also on a much larger scale (ship’s timbers, church roofs, beams in buildings) while the soft woods (ie fruitwoods like cherry) are used for decorative finishes. Find examples of different woods, or use the internet to find pictures of them and compare their colours and grains.  Think about how wood reacts to its environment, and therefore what it can be used for. In the modern, centrally-heated home, wood often cracks because it overheats and dries out. What happens when wood becomes wet?