Augustus Leopold Egg

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Egg: Past and Present, No. 1

1858
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Additional Information

This is the first of a set of three modern-life pictures on the theme of the fallen woman. The other two are also in the Tate collection and available as custom prints.

The theme of the triptych is the discovery of a woman’s infidelity and its consequences. In this first scene the wife lies at her husband’s feet, while he sits grimly at the table and their children play cards in the background. The painting is full of symbolism: the falling cards, the halved apple and the paintings of ‘the fall’ of Adam and Eve and a shipwreck called ‘Abandoned’ by Clarkson Stanfield. The couple’s individual portraits hang beneath the appropriate images.
  • Artist Augustus Leopold Egg
  • Artwork Egg: Past and Present, No. 1
  • Image size 635 x 762 mm
  • Material Oil paint on canvas
  • Date of work 1858
  • Credit Presented by Sir Alec and Lady Martin in memory of their daughter Nora 1918
Born in 1816 to the son of a London gunsmith, Egg enrolled in Henry Sass’s Academy around 1834 and entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1836. Egg’s earliest pictures included portraits, costume pieces, subjects from Shakespeare and others. A few of his early pictures were popular among critics but in general his early works were criticised.

Over the years Egg established himself and even began to patronise younger artists and the Pre-Raphaelites. Egg’s famous triptych, exhibited in the Academy in 1858, and now known as Past and Present demonstrated Egg’s concern with moralising serial narrative and with contemporary social issues. He frequently travelled to the south of England and to the Mediterranean for his asthma, to which he ultimately succumbed in 1863.
  • Product Code S23105
Reviews
Delivery & returns

Delivery & returns

DELIVERY TIMES

We aim to deliver custom prints within 1-2 weeks. For international orders, delivery may take 2-4 weeks.

As each print is handmade to order they take a little longer to prepare. We’ll dispatch your order as soon as it is ready, separately from any other items.

UNFRAMED PRINTS DELIVERY CHARGES

UK — £3.60 per order

Europe — £15.00 per order

Rest of world — £28.00 per order

FRAMED & CANVAS PRINTS DELIVERY CHARGES

UK — £7.50 per print

Europe — £20.00 per print

Rest of world — £50.00 per print

We currently offer free standard delivery on all UK orders over £60. Here’s more information on delivery.

REFUNDS & RETURNS

As custom prints are made to order, unfortunately we cannot accept returns if you have changed your mind or made a mistake.

If we have made a mistake, or there is a problem with your order, then please contact our customer service team at at shop@tate.org.uk.

Here’s more information on refunds & returns.

Delivery & returns

DELIVERY TIMES

We aim to deliver custom prints within 1-2 weeks. For international orders, delivery may take 2-4 weeks.

As each print is handmade to order they take a little longer to prepare. We’ll dispatch your order as soon as it is ready, separately from any other items.

UNFRAMED PRINTS DELIVERY CHARGES

UK — £3.60 per order

Europe — £15.00 per order

Rest of world — £28.00 per order

FRAMED & CANVAS PRINTS DELIVERY CHARGES

UK — £7.50 per print

Europe — £20.00 per print

Rest of world — £50.00 per print

We currently offer free standard delivery on all UK orders over £60. Here’s more information on delivery.

REFUNDS & RETURNS

As custom prints are made to order, unfortunately we cannot accept returns if you have changed your mind or made a mistake.

If we have made a mistake, or there is a problem with your order, then please contact our customer service team at at shop@tate.org.uk.

Here’s more information on refunds & returns.