1852
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Vine is a 1852 by Samuel Palmer, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a night scene with a huge grapevine twisting across the sky. The leaves glow like green fire against dark clouds. A small figure sleeps below, unaware of the vine's magic. This isn't just a print—it's Palmer's early test print. He scribbled notes on it, planning changes. It shows his ideas taking shape before the final version. The vine represents Bacchus, the wine god, from Shakespeare's play. The vine feels alive, almost breathing. Palmer loved nature's mystery. Look up Samuel Palmer (British, 1805–1881) next.
This early proof (an impression created while the artist is still working on the design) by Samuel Palmer features his illustrations before the accompanying text for Songs and Ballads of Shakespeare was printed. Both images relate to a drinking song featured in act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra , praising Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, and his products. Palmer’s handwritten notes describe modifications he was planning to make. Palmer started to work in prints late in his career but quickly became accomplished in the medium. His imagery is characterized by juxtaposing…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Samuel Palmer Hon.RE (Hon. Fellow of the Society of Painter-Etchers) (27 January 1805 – 24 May 1881) was a British landscape painter, etcher and printmaker. He was also a prolific writer. Palmer was a key figure in…
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