Jim Peake
Head of Department
Lot 68AR
Laurence Whistler: an engraved prism depicting Holy Trinity church, Stratford-upon-Avon, made in 1991
5 June 2019, 10:30 BST
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £3,812.50 inc. premium
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Fergus Gambon
Director
Laurence Whistler: an engraved prism depicting Holy Trinity church, Stratford-upon-Avon, made in 1991
The clear crystal glass prism stipple-engraved with a view of the Church of the Holy Trinity seen through an avenue of trees, the path inscribed with the dates of Shakespeare's birth and death in Roman numerals, signed indistinctly LW, on a revolving wood stand set with a silver band engraved with a presentation inscription 'Dennis Flower + Chairman 1966-91 + From the Trustees of Shakespeare's Birthplace', The prism 23.2cm high, on its stand 26cm overall height
Footnotes
Laurence Whistler played tricks with the optical qualities of glass and discovered that solid glass prisms could be engraved on a single face, allowing reflection to project a different image from within. His best-known glass prism was made by Laurence as a memorial to his late brother Rex Whistler who had died in the War and this is displayed in Salisbury Cathedral. In 1991 Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust commissioned Laurence Whistler to create a special piece of glass to be presented to its retiring president. It shows the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon. Half of the scene is etched on one face of the prism and as if by magic the church and steeple appears complete when viewed from the other side.
