Charles Sims RA, Clio and the Children

Clio and the Children, 1913 & 1915

Charles Sims RA (1873 - 1928)

RA Collection: Art

Charles Sims often painted mythological scenes in everyday contexts, using friends and family members as models. He painted this picture in 1913 while living at Fittleworth, West Sussex. It depicts Clio, Muse of History, reading to a group of children in a still Sussex landscape. In 1915, following the death of his eldest son in World War I, Sims stained Clio’s scroll with red paint to represent blood. Sims believed that the War had violated the innocence of future generations. He felt that History could no longer be personified as a beautiful goddess passing on wisdom but that she had more violent lessons to teach.

Object details

Title
Clio and the Children
Artist/designer
Charles Sims RA (1873 - 1928)
Date
1913 & 1915
Object type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions

1143 mm x 1829 mm

Collection
Royal Academy of Arts
Object number
03/1215
Acquisition
Diploma Work given by Charles Sims RA accepted 1916

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