Puck - V&A Museum, Cromwell Gardens, London, UK
N 51° 29.771 W 000° 10.310
30U E 696309 N 5708797
Puck is a mythological figure from English folklore. This statue of Puck, is based on a character in Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and is on display in the V&A Museum in London.
Waymark Code: WMW1ZW
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 06/29/2017
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The Greek Mythology website tells us about Puck:
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream that was based on the ancient figure in English mythology, also called Puck. Puck is a clever and mischievous elf and personifies the trickster or the wise knave. In the play, Shakespeare introduces Puck as the "shrewd and knavish sprite" and "that merry wanderer of the night" and jester to Oberon, the fairy king.
In English folklore, Puck is a mythological fairy or mischievous nature sprite. Puck is also a generalised personification of land spirits.
The exhibit information card for the statue of Puck tells us:
John Graham Lough 1798-1876
Puck, from A Midsummer Night's Dream
About 1847
This was one of a series of sculptures depicting subjects from Shakespeare, which were commissioned from Lough by Sir Matthew White Ridley for his London home. They were much admired when first exhibited. A contemporary said of the figure of Puck, 'He is the quintessence of shrewdness and elfish whimsicality'.
London
Marble
The V&A Museum website also tells us:
Lough specialised in works based on characters and themes in plays by William Shakespeare (1564-1616). A bronze depicting Duncan's horses devouring one another, from Macbeth, a marble figure of Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a marble figure of Jaques from As You Like It are also in the Museum's collections. In early July 1847 Lough opened his studio to exhibit several of his Shakespearian sculptures. According to a report in the Literary Gazette of the exhibition, Puck 'is truly the merriest and most mischievous of sprites. His head is young in form, but old in frolic, and cunning, and archness. That fellow cannot move without a trick; and how he stands, the mushroom Colossus, not of Rhodes, but of a hundred ways to fun and knavery. He is the quintessence of shrewdness and selfish whimsicality. It is a happy performance, and the true representative of all we fancy in our fairy love.'
Puck stands, draped in a cloth and holding a scroll. A dog-like animal lies between his feet.