Marble
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Chantrey Bequest
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/sir-hamo-thornycroft-551" aria-label="More by Sir Hamo Thornycroft" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Sir Hamo Thornycroft</a>
Kiss
Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1916
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
adults
bending forward
children
daughter
embracing
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
family
female
girl
kissing
love
mother
nudes
people
society
standing
stretching
tenderness
woman
<p>Thornycroft was the leading figure in the New Sculpture, a movement which sought to inject a new naturalism into the classical tradition. He carved much of this work himself, relying less than usual on assistants. He worked from a full-size model which he first made in clay and then cast in plaster. The statue was a great success when exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1916. The subject of mother and daughter was acceptable while opening up the new possibilities of touch and physical engagement in sculpture.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2016</em></p>
sculpture marble
26 April 2004 – 11 June 2006
2006-06-11
26 April 2004 – 11 June 2006
2006-06-11
2004-04-26
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2004-04-26
Realism in Sculpture
Collection based display
1 May 2009 – 3 July 2011
2011-07-03
2 May 2009 – 3 July 2011
2011-07-03
2009-05-02
Tate Liverpool (Liverpool, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/
2009-05-01
Wayne Hemingway
Collection based display
19 May 2012 – 2 December 2012
2012-12-02
19 May 2012 – 2 December 2012
2012-12-02
2012-05-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2012-05-19
Victorian Sentimentality
Collection based display
The Kiss
object: 1778 × 597 × 864 mm, 700 kg
Presented by the Trustees of the <a href="/search?gid=999999977" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Chantrey Bequest</a> 1916
<div class="text">
<p>Thornycroft was the leading figure in the New Sculpture, a movement which sought to inject a new naturalism into the classical tradition. He carved much of this work himself, relying less than usual on assistants. He worked from a full-size model which he first made in clay and then cast in plaster. The statue was a great success when exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1916. The subject of mother and daughter was acceptable while opening up the new possibilities of touch and physical engagement in sculpture.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2016-09-06T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N03153</b> THE KISS 1916
<br/>
<br/>Inscr. ‘H. Thornycroft Sc. 1916’ on base.
<br/>Marble, 70×23 1/2×34 (178×60×86) including base.
<br/>Chantrey Purchase from the artist 1916.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> R.A., 1916 (1939).
<br/><i>Repr:</i> Kineton Parkes, <i>Sculpture of To-Day</i>, 1921, 1, facing pp.68 and 69 (side and back views).</p>
<p>A ‘full size original model of the group’ was lent by Lady Thornycroft to the Royal <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/academy" title="Glossary definition for 'Academy'"><span>Academy</span></a> Memorial Exhibition of 1927 (122). This was in <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/plaster-of-paris" title="Glossary definition for 'Plaster of Paris'"><span>plaster</span></a> and is now destroyed. An entry in Thornycroft's diary dated ‘Sunday night, April 2 1916’ reads: ‘This evening at my studio I finished carving my group of Mother and Child (“The Kiss” I think I shall call it). For months I've been carving at the marble, the loveliest one my chisel ever cut, &amp; am quite sorry the statue will be out of my reach tomorrow. It goes to the R.A. I am generally glad to get rid of a work, but not this!’</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-05T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: expressive actions: postures and motions adults bending forward children daughter embracing emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas family female girl kissing love mother nudes people society standing stretching tenderness woman