Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/henry-singleton-496" aria-label="More by Henry Singleton" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Henry Singleton</a>
Ariel on a Bats Back
Bequeathed by the artist 1840
‘Tempest, The’
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
adults
animals: actions
animals: mammals
Ariel
bat
characters
fairy
familiar
flying
landscape
literature and fiction
magic and occultism
male
man
night
nudes
people
pointing
reclining
religion and belief
Shakespeare
sky
times of the day
<p>This picture depicts Ariel, the magical spirit in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. It was first exhibited accompanied by lines from Ariel’s last song: ‘On the bat’s back I do fly, After summer, merrily.’ Singleton’s decision to paint this entertaining and theatrical subject was a response to popular tastes of the time. The artist had begun his career as a promising history painter but many felt he did not realise his full potential.</p><p><em>Gallery label, October 2019</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
12 November 2007 – 17 October 2010
2010-10-17
12 November 2007 – 17 October 2010
2010-10-17
2007-11-12
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2007-11-12
Grand Manner
Collection based display
30 June 2012 – 7 October 2012
2012-10-07
30 June 2012 – 7 October 2012
2012-10-07
2012-06-30
Compton Verney (Compton Verney, UK)
2012-06-30
Flight and the artistic imagination
Loan-out
29 July 2019 – 3 November 2019
2019-11-03
29 July 2019 – 3 November 2019
2019-11-03
2019-07-29
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2019-07-29
1819 Spotlight
Collection based display
12 October 2020 – 25 September 2022
2022-09-25
12 October 2020 – 25 September 2022
2022-09-25
2020-10-12
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2020-10-12
Fairy Painting
Collection based display
29 October 2024 – 30 September 2025
2025-09-30
30 October 2024 – 2 February 2025
2025-02-02
2024-10-30
Reggia di Venaria Reale (Turin, Italy)
1 September 2025 – 31 January 2026
2026-01-31
2025-09-01
Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest, Hungary)
1 March 2026 – 31 August 2026
2026-08-31
2026-03-01
External
2024-10-29
William Blake and the Age of Romantic Fantasy: British Art & Imagination
Loan-out
Ariel on a Bat’s Back
support: 1003 × 1257 mm
frame: 1148 × 1406 × 82 mm
Bequeathed by the artist 1840
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<p>This picture depicts Ariel, the magical spirit in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. It was first exhibited accompanied by lines from Ariel’s last song: ‘On the bat’s back I do fly, After summer, merrily.’ Singleton’s decision to paint this entertaining and theatrical subject was a response to popular tastes of the time. The artist had begun his career as a promising history painter but many felt he did not realise his full potential.</p>
</div>

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2019-10-04T00:00:00
display-caption
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actions: expressive actions: postures and motions adults animals: actions animals: mammals Ariel bat characters fairy familiar flying landscape literature and fiction magic and occultism male man night nudes people pointing reclining religion and belief Shakespeare sky ‘Tempest, The’ times of the day