Melody Rose x Sir John Soane’s Museum
Award Winning
Winner of the Tableware International Award of Excellence 2020 in the Licensed Collaboration category for ‘A Rake’s Progress’ designed for the Sir John Soane’s Museum. The awards are bestowed to outstanding products, with the ‘A Rake’s Progress’ being chosen as the winner of the Licensed Collaboration category. The judges loved the unique designs and exquisite craftsmanship and commented that it was “a perfect design”.
About ‘A Rake’s Progress’
Commissioned by the Sir John Soane’s Museum to create a range of fine bone china pieces to accompany their Hogarth: Place and Progress exhibition in the autumn 2019, Melody Rose designer, Melanie Roseveare celebrates Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress.
Inspired by Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress, the series of eight paintings created in 1734 tell the story of Tom Rakewell, a young man who follows a path of vice and self destruction after inheriting a fortune from his miserly father, finally ending up deranged and penniless in Bedlam, after his failure to establish himself in society.
A Rake’s Progress, was chosen for project as it’s not only a renowned work of art and social commentary but it’s cautionary tale still holds the same fascination, importance and relevance today.
Deconstructing the paintings, the story of several central characters are followed to highlight moments of particular scandal and tears. Of course it’s not all doom and gloom, there’s vice, humour and playfulness in the work which fit in well with the Melody Rose signature style and bring a contemporary feel to the work. Four of the eight paintings were selected for the project, where the story plays out across four handcrafted fine bone china plates and a teacup and saucer all finished with 22kt burnished gold. Every purchase supports the Sir John Soane’s Museum.
Sir John Soane’s house, museum and library at No.13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields has been a public museum since the early nineteenth century. Today Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the country’s most unusual and significant museums with a continuing and developing commitment to education and creative inspiration. You can find more information about the Sir John Soane’s Museum here: www.soane.org
