Philip Hermogenes Calderon

Broken Vows

1856

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On loan

National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australia): Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Artist
Philip Hermogenes Calderon 1833–1898
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 914 x 679 mm
frame: 1205 x 980 x 104 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Purchased 1947
Reference
N05780

Display caption

The title of this painting suggests that the woman has recently discovered that her lover, whose initials are carved in the fence, has been unfaithful. Further details, including the discarded necklace and dying flowers, indicate her unhappy situation. The ivy-covered wall may symbolise her previous belief that their love was everlasting. Disappointed love was a popular theme in Victorian painting, and viewers were expected to unravel the situation from the symbols and expressions of the characters.

Gallery label, July 2007

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Victorian / Genre

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