YouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelm

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

YouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelm,alsoknownasFairLaughstheMornand
YouthandPleasure,isanoilpaintingoncanvasbyEnglishartistWilliamEtty,first
exhibitedin1832andcurrentlyinTateBritain.Ettyhadbeenplanningthepaintingsince
181819,andanearlyversionwasexhibitedin1822.Thepiecewasinspiredbyametaphor
inThomasGray'spoemTheBardinwhichtheapparentlybrightstarttothenotorious
misruleofRichardIIofEnglandwascomparedtoagildedshipwhoseoccupantsare
unawareofanapproachingstorm.EttychosetoillustrateGray'slinesliterally,depictinga
goldenboatfilledwithandsurroundedbynudeandnearnudefigures.

YouthontheProw,and
PleasureattheHelm

Ettyfeltthathisapproachtotheworkillustratedamoralwarningaboutthepursuitof
pleasure,buthisapproachwasnotentirelysuccessful.TheBardwasaboutasupposed
curseontheHouseofPlantagenetplacedbyaWelshbardfollowingEdwardIofEngland's
attemptstoeradicateWelshculture,andcriticsfeltthatEttyhadsomewhatmisunderstood
thepointofGray'spoem.Somereviewersgreatlypraisedthepiece,andinparticularEtty's
technicalabilities,butaudiencesofthetimefoundithardtounderstandthepurposeof
Etty'spainting,andhisuseofnudefiguresledsomecriticstoconsidertheworktasteless
andoffensive.
Thepaintingwasboughtin1832byRobertVernontoformpartofhiscollectionofBritish
art.Vernondonatedhiscollection,includingYouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelm,
totheNationalGalleryin1847,which,inturn,transferredittotheTateGalleryin1949.It
remainsoneofEtty'sbestknownworks,andformedpartofmajorexhibitionsatTate
Britainin200102andattheYorkArtGalleryin201112.

Contents
1 Background
2 Composition

Artist

WilliamEtty

Completion
date

1832

Type

Oiloncanvas

Dimensions

158.7cm117.5cm(62.5in

3 Versions
4 Reception

46.3in)
Location

TateBritain,Millbank,London,
UnitedKingdom

Owner

TateGallery

5 Legacy
6 Footnotes
7 References
7.1 Notes
7.2 Bibliography

Background
WilliamEtty,theseventhsonofaYorkbakerandmiller,[2]hadbeenanapprenticeprinterinHull.[3]
Oncompletinghissevenyearapprenticeshipattheageof18hemovedtoLondon"withafewpieces
ofchalkcrayons",[4]andtheintentionofbecomingahistorypainterinthetraditionoftheOld
Masters.[5]HeenrolledintheSchoolsoftheRoyalAcademyofArts,studyingunderrenownedportrait
painterThomasLawrence.[4]HesubmittednumerouspaintingstotheRoyalAcademyoverthe
followingdecade,allofwhichwereeitherrejectedorreceivedlittleattentionwhenexhibited.[6]

TheDawnofLove(1828)was
intendedtoillustrateJohnMilton's

In1821Etty'sTheArrivalofCleopatrainCilicia(alsoknownasTheTriumphofCleopatra)wasa
criticalsuccess.[6]Thepaintingfeaturednudefigures,andoverthefollowingyearsEttypaintedfurther
nudesinbiblical,literaryandmythologicalsettings.[7]Allbutoneofthe15paintingsEttyexhibitedin
the1820sincludedatleastonenudefigure.[8]

Comus. [1]Bytheendofthe1820s,
Ettyhadbecomenotoriousforhisuse
ofliteraryandmythologicalsubjects
asapretextfornudity.

Whilesomenudesexistedinprivatecollections,Englandhadnotraditionofnudepaintingandthe
displayanddistributionofnudematerialtothepublichadbeensuppressedsincethe1787Proclamation
fortheDiscouragementofVice.[9]EttywasthefirstBritishartisttospecialiseinthenude,[10]andthe

reactionofthelowerclassestothesepaintingscausedconcernthroughoutthe19thcentury.[11]Althoughhisportraitsofmalenudeswere
generallywellreceived,[A]manycriticscondemnedhisrepeateddepictionsoffemalenudityasindecent.[7][8]

Composition
YouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelmwasinspiredbyapassagein
ThomasGray'spoemTheBard.[14]ThethemeofTheBardwastheEnglishking
EdwardI'sconquestofWales,andacurseplacedbyaWelshbarduponhis
descendantsafterEdwardorderedtheexecutionofallbardsandtheeradicationof
Welshculture.[14]EttyusedapassageGrayintendedtosymbolisetheseemingly
brightstarttothedisastrousreignofEdward'sgreatgreatgrandsonRichardII.[15]

Fairlaughsthemorn,andsoftthezephyrblows,
Whileproudlyridingo'ertheazurerealm,
Ingallanttrim,thegildedvesselgoes,
YouthontheprowandPleasureatthehelm,
Unmindfulofthesweepingwhirlwind'ssway,
That,hushedingrimrepose,expectshiseveningprey.

LinesfromTheBardwhichaccompaniedYouthandPleasure
EttychosetoillustrateGray'swords
whenoriginallyexhibited. [13]
literally,creatingwhathasbeendescribed
as"apoeticromance".[10]Youthand
Pleasuredepictsasmallgildedboat.Abovetheboat,anudefigurerepresentingZephyrblowsonthe
sails.AnothernuderepresentingPleasureliesonalargebouquetofflowers,looselyholdingthehelm
oftheboatandallowingZephyr'sbreezetoguideit.Anudechildblowsbubbles,whichanothernude
ontheprowoftheship,representingYouth,reachestocatch.Naiads,againnude,swimaroundand
clamberontheboat.[14]Althoughtheseasarecalm,a"sweepingwhirlwind"isformingonthehorizon,
withademonicfigurewithinthestormclouds.[14][16](Deteriorationandrestorationmeansthisdemonic
figureisnowbarelyvisible.[14])Theintertwinedlimbsoftheparticipantswereintendedtoevokethe
sensationoftransientandpassingpleasure,andtoexpressthethemesoffemalesexualappetites
entrappinginnocentyouth,[17]andthesexualpowerwomenholdovermen.[10]

WilliamBlake'streatment(c.1798)
ofthesamepassagefromTheBard.
Gray'spoemwasapopularthemefor
artists.

Ettysaidofhisapproachtothetextthathewashopingtocreate"ageneralallegoryofHumanLife,its
emptyvainpleasuresifnotfoundedonthelawsofHimwhoistheRockofAges."[18]WhileEttyfelt
thattheworkconveyedaclearmoralwarningaboutthepursuitofpleasure,thislessonwaslargelylost
uponitsaudiences.[10]

WhenEttyexhibitedthecompletedpaintingattheRoyalAcademySummerExhibitionin1832,[19]it
wasshownuntitled,[20]withtherelevantsixlinesfromTheBardattached[14]writersatthetime
sometimesreferredtoitbyitsincipitofFairLaughstheMorn.[20][B]BythetimeofEtty'sdeathin1849,ithadacquireditspresenttitleof

YouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelm.[21]

Versions
ThefinalversionofYouthandPleasurewaspaintedbetween1830and1832,[22]butEttyhadbeen
contemplatingapaintingonthethemesince181819.[23]In1822hehadexhibitedanearlyversionat
theBritishInstitutiontitledASketchfromOneofGray'sOdes(YouthontheProw)[24][25]inthis
versionthegroupoffiguresontheprowisreversed,andtheswimmersaroundtheboatareabsent.[23]
Anotherroughversionofthepaintingalsosurvives,similartothe1832versionbutagainwiththe
figuresontheprowreversed.[26]ThisversionwasexhibitedataretrospectiveofEtty'sworkatthe
SocietyofArtsin1849itisdated1848butthisislikelytobeamisprintof1828,makingita
preliminarystudyforthe1832painting.[26]
Althoughitreceivedlittlenoticewhenfirstexhibited,the1822versionprovokedastrongreactionfrom
TheTimes:
WetakethisopportunityofadvisingMr.Etty,whogotsomereputationforpainting
"Cleopatra'sGalley",nottobeseducedintoastylewhichcangratifyonlythemostvicious
taste.Nakedfigures,whenpaintedwiththepurityofRaphael,maybeendured:but
nakednesswithoutpurityisoffensiveandindecent,andonMr.Etty'scanvassismeredirty
flesh.Mr.Howard,[C]whosepoeticalsubjectssometimesrequirenakedfigures,never
disguststheeyeormind.LetMr.Ettystrivetoacquireatasteequallypure:heshould
know,thatjustdelicatetasteandpuremoralsensearesynonymousterms.

The1822versionofthepainting
provokedastrongreactionfromThe
Timesforitssupposedindecency.

TheTimes,29January1822[28]
AnoilsketchattributedtoEtty,giventoYorkArtGalleryin1952byJudithHare,CountessofListowelandentitledThreeFemaleNudes,is
possiblyapreliminarystudybyEttyforYouthandPleasure,oracopybyastudentofthethreecentralfigures.[26]ArthistorianSarahBurnage
considersbothpossibilitiesunlikely,asneitherthearrangementoffigures,thesubjectmatterortheseaserpentapproachingthegroupappear
torelatetothecompletedYouthandPleasure,andconsidersitmorelikelytobeapreliminarysketchforanowunknownwork.[29]

Reception

ThreeFemaleNudes,
attributedtoEttyc.1820,is
possiblyeitherastudyforor
derivedfromYouthand
Pleasure,butmaybeastudy
foranunrelatedwork.

YouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelmmetwithamixedreceptiononexhibition,andwhilecritics
generallypraisedEtty'stechnicalability,therewasacertainconfusionastowhatthepaintingwasactually
intendedtorepresentandageneralfeelingthathehadseriouslymisunderstoodwhatTheBardwasactually
about.[14]TheLibraryoftheFineArtsfelt"inclassicaldesign,anatomicaldrawing,eleganceofattitude,
finenessofform,andgracefulnessofgrouping,nodoubtMr.Ettyhasnosuperior",andwhile"the
representationoftheideasinthelinesquoted[fromTheBard]arebeautifullyandaccuratelyexpressedupon
thecanvas"theyconsidered"theulteriorreferenceofthepoet[tothedestructionofWelshcultureandthe
declineoftheHouseofPlantagenet]wasentirelylostsightof,andthat,ifthisbethenearestthatArtcan
approachinconveyingtotheeyethehappyexemplificationofthesubjectwhichGrayintended,wefearwe
mustgiveupthecontestuponthemeritsofpoetryandpainting."[30]SimilarconcernswereraisedinTheTimes,
whichobservedthatitwas"Fullofbeauty,richincolouring,boldlyandaccuratelydrawn,andcomposedwith
amostgracefulfancybutthemeaningofit,ifithasanymeaning,nomancantell",pointingoutthatalthough
itwasintendedtoillustrateGrayit"wouldrepresentalmostaswellanyotherpoet'sfancies."[20]TheExaminer,
meanwhile,tookissuewiththecrampedandoverladenboat,pointingoutthatthecharacters"ifnotexactly
jammedtogetherlikefigsinabasket,aresadlyconstrainedforwantofroom",andalsocomplainedthatthe
boatwouldnotinreality"floathalftheweightwhichismadetopressuponit."[14]

OtherreviewerswerekinderTheGentleman'sMagazinepraisedEtty'sabilitytocapture"thebeautyofthe
proportionoftheantique",notingthatinthecentralfigures"thereisfarmoreofclassicalitythanistobeseen
inalmostanymodernpicture",andconsideredtheoverallcomposition"amostfortunatecombinationofthe
idealityofPoetryandtherealityofNature".[16]TheAthenumconsideredit"apoeticpicturefromaverypoeticpassage",praisingEttyfor
"tellingastorywhichisverydifficulttotellwiththepencil".[31]
ThegreatestcriticismofYouthandPleasurecamefromTheMorningChronicle,anewspaperwhichhadlongdislikedEtty'sfemalenudes.[32]
Itcomplained"nodecentfamilycanhangsuchsightsagainsttheirwall",[33]andcondemnedthepaintingasan"indulgenceofwhatweonce
hopedaclassical,butwhicharenowconvinced,isalasciviousmind",commenting"thecourseof[Etty's]studiesshouldruninapurer
channel,andthatheshouldnotpersist,withanunhallowedfancy,topursueNaturetoherholyrecesses.Heisalaboriousdraughtsman,anda
beautifulcolouristbuthehasnottasteorchastityofmindenoughtoventureonthenakedtruth."Therevieweradded"wefearthatMr.Ewill
neverturnfromhiswickedways,andmakehimselffitfordecentcompany."[32]

Legacy

YouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelmwaspurchasedatthetimeofitsexhibitionbyRobertVernonfor
hisimportantcollectionofBritishart.[10][23](ThepriceVernonpaidforYouthandPleasureisnotrecorded,
althoughEtty'scashbookrecordsapartialpaymentof250about21,000in2016terms[34]soitislikelyto
havebeenasubstantialsum.[26])VernonlaterpurchasedJohnConstable'sTheValleyFarm,planningtohangit
intheplacethenoccupiedbyYouthandPleasure.ThisdecisioncausedConstabletocomment"Mypictureis
togointotheplacewhereEtty's"Bumboat"isatpresenthispicturewithitspreciousfreightistobe
broughtdownnearertothenose."[10][D]Vernonpresentedhiscollectiontothenationin1847,andhis157
paintings,includingYouthandPleasure,enteredtheNationalGallery.[36]
WhenSamuelCarterHallwaschoosingworkstoillustratehisnewlylaunchedTheArtJournal,heconsidered
itimportanttopromotenewBritishartists,evenifitmeantillustrationswhichsomereadersconsidered
pornographicoroffensive.In1849HallsecuredreproductionrightstothepaintingsVernonhadgiventothe
nationandsoonpublishedandwidelydistributedanengravingofthepaintingunderthetitleYouthand
Pleasure,[35]describingitas"oftheveryhighestclass".[37]
Needledbyrepeatedattacksfromthepressonhissupposedindecency,poortasteandlackofcreativity,Etty
changedhisapproachaftertheresponsetoYouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelm.[38]Heexhibitedover
80furtherpaintingsattheRoyalAcademyalone,andremainedaprominentpainterofnudes,butfromthis
timemadeconsciouseffortstoreflectmorallessons.[39]HediedinNovember1849and,whilehiswork
enjoyedabriefboominpopularity,interestinhimdeclinedovertime,andbytheendofthe19thcenturyallof
hispaintingshadfallenbelowtheiroriginalprices.[40]

Gratuitousnuditymade
Youth&Pleasureapopular
piecefortableauvivant
performances,atthetimethe
onlyformoflive
entertainmentinwhich
nuditywaspermitted.

In1949thepaintingwastransferredfromtheNationalGallerytotheTateGallery,[23]whereasof2015itremains.[22]AlthoughYouthand
PleasureisoneofEtty'sbestknownpaintings,[41]itremainscontroversial,andDennisFarr's1958biographyofEttydescribesitas"singularly
inept".[41]ItwasoneoffourworksbyEttychosenforTateBritain'slandmarkExposed:TheVictorianNudeexhibitionin200102,[10]and
alsoformedpartofamajorretrospectiveofEtty'sworkattheYorkArtGalleryin201112.[14]

Footnotes
A.Etty'smalenudeportraitswereprimarilyofmythologicalheroesandclassicalcombat,genresinwhichthedepictionofmalenuditywasconsidered
acceptableinEngland.[12]
B.Etty's2007biographerLeonardRobinsonstatesthatmuchofthisversewasomitted,andthepaintingwascaptionedFairlaughstheMorn,andsoftthe
Zephyrblows,Youthontheprow,andPleasureatthehelm,Thathush'dingrimrepose,expectshiseveningprey.[18]Theoriginalcatalogueforthe

1832SummerExhibitionclearlyindicatesthatallsixlinesaccompaniedthepaintingonitsoriginalexhibition.[13]
C.HenryHoward,oneofEtty'srivalsinthefieldofhistorypainting.[27]
D.ArthistoriansdifferintheirinterpretationofConstable'sreaction,andwhetherhewasexpressingsurpriseorpleasurethatVernonwasmovingYouth
andPleasuretoalessprominentpositiontomakewayforTheValleyFarm.[10][35]

References
Notes
1.Burnage2011b,p.116.
2."WilliamEtty".OxfordDictionaryofNationalBiography(onlineed.).OxfordUniversityPress.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8925.(SubscriptionorUKpublic
librarymembership(http://www.oup.com/oxforddnb/info/freeodnb/libraries/)required.)

3.Farr1958,p.5.
4.Burnage2011a,p.157.
5.Smith1996,p.86.
6.Burnage2011d,p.31.
7."Abouttheartist".ManchesterArtGallery.Archivedfromtheoriginalon20150211.Retrieved10February2015.
8.Burnage2011d,p.32.
9.Smith2001b,p.53.
10.Smith2001a,p.57.
11.Smith2001b,p.55.
12.Burnage2011d,pp.3233.
13.TheExhibitionoftheRoyalAcademy:TheSixtyFourth.London:RoyalAcademyofArts.1832.p.15.
14.Burnage2011b,p.128.
15.Gray&Bradshaw1891,p.87.
16."FineArts.RoyalAcademy".TheGentleman'sMagazine(London:J.B.NicholsandSon)33(6):539.June1832.
17.Smith2001a,p.67.
18.Robinson2007,p.180.
19.Burnage&Bertram2011,p.24.
20."RoyalAcademy"TheTimes(London).Thursday,24May1832.(14860),colF,p.3.
21."Obituary.WilliamEtty,Esq,R.A.".TheGentleman'sMagazine(London:JohnBowerNicholsandSon)33(1):98.January1850.
22."WilliamEttyYouthontheProw,andPleasureattheHelm".Tate.May2007.Retrieved3June2015.
23.Farr1958,p.158.
24.Burnage&Bertram2011,p.22.
25.Robinson2007,p.178.
26.Farr1958,p.159.
27.Farr1958,p.31.
28."LordGwydyr"TheTimes(London).Tuesday,29January1822.(11466),colA,p.3.
29.Burnage2011c,p.215.

30."ExhibitionoftheRoyalAcademy".LibraryoftheFineArts(London:M.Arnold)4(18):57.July1832.
31."FineArtsExhibitionatSomersetHouse".TheAthenum(London:J.Holmes)(239):340.26May1832.
32.Burnage2011d,p.33.
33.Burnage2011b,p.129.
34.UKCPIinflationnumbersbasedondataavailablefromGregoryClark(2015),"TheAnnualRPIandAverageEarningsforBritain,1209toPresent
(NewSeries)(http://www.measuringworth.org/ukearncpi/)"MeasuringWorth.
35.Robinson2007,p.181.
36.Robinson2007,p.388.
37.Smith1996,p.69.
38.Burnage2011d,p.36.
39.Burnage2011d,p.42.
40.Robinson2007,p.440.
41.Farr1958,p.63.

Bibliography
Burnage,Sarah(2011a)."EttyandtheMasters".InBurnage,SarahHallett,MarkTurner,Laura.WilliamEtty:Art&Controversy.
London:PhilipWilsonPublishers.pp.15497.ISBN9780856677014.OCLC800599710.
Burnage,Sarah(2011b)."HistoryPaintingandtheCritics".InBurnage,SarahHallett,MarkTurner,Laura.WilliamEtty:Art&
Controversy.London:PhilipWilsonPublishers.pp.10654.ISBN9780856677014.OCLC800599710.
Burnage,Sarah(2011c)."TheLifeClass".InBurnage,SarahHallett,MarkTurner,Laura.WilliamEtty:Art&Controversy.London:
PhilipWilsonPublishers.pp.198227.ISBN9780856677014.OCLC800599710.
Burnage,Sarah(2011d)."PaintingtheNudeand'InflictingDivineVengeanceontheWicked' ".InBurnage,SarahHallett,Mark
Turner,Laura.WilliamEtty:Art&Controversy.London:PhilipWilsonPublishers.pp.3146.ISBN9780856677014.
OCLC800599710.
Burnage,SarahBertram,Beatrice(2011)."Chronology".InBurnage,SarahHallett,MarkTurner,Laura.WilliamEtty:Art&
Controversy.London:PhilipWilsonPublishers.pp.2030.ISBN9780856677014.OCLC800599710.
Farr,Dennis(1958).WilliamEtty.London:RoutledgeandKeganPaul.OCLC2470159.
Gray,ThomasBradshaw,John(1891).Gray'sPoems,withintroductionandnotedbyJohnBradshaw.London:Macmillan&Co.
OCLC779886823.
Robinson,Leonard(2007).WilliamEtty:TheLifeandArt.Jefferson,NC:McFarland&Company.ISBN9780786425310.
OCLC751047871.
Smith,Alison(2001a).Exposed:TheVictorianNude.London:TatePublishing.ISBN1854373722.
Smith,Alison(2001b)."PrivatePleasures?".InBills,Mark.ArtintheAgeofQueenVictoria:AWealthofDepictions.Bournemouth:
RussellCotesArtGalleryandMuseum.ISBN0905173651.
Smith,Alison(1996).TheVictorianNude.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress.ISBN0719044030.
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Youth_on_the_Prow,_and_Pleasure_at_the_Helm&oldid=704090901"

Categories: PaintingsbyWilliamEtty 1832paintings CollectionoftheTategalleries Allegoricalpaintings Nudeart

Maritimepaintings
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon9February2016,at13:51.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmayapply.Byusingthissite,youagree
totheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofit
organization.