RON HENGGELER

December 31, 2021
The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne), at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park

This unique sculpture invites visitors to survey its lush surface, behind which lie several stories. The monumental piece, 22 feet in circumference, is titled The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne). The 6,000-pound cast bronze vessel has 58 separately formed animated figures, entwined with grapevines, visually narrating the story of winemaking. A close look at the base reveals, cupids battling growth-destroying insects, as cupids above squeeze the abundant fruit of its juice. Larger playful figures feature Bacchus (the god of wine), Silenus (the drunken attendant and nurse to Bacchus), the goddess Diana (lover of the woods and wild things), satyrs (attendants to Bacchus), and bacchantes (priestess to Bacchus).

Frenchman Paul Gustav Doré created the 11-foot-high vessel in 1877-78. When the French Thiebaut Brothers Foundry finished casting the piece, Dore's finances were in the red, and with his death five years later, the bill was still unpaid. In an attempt to retrieve its money, the Foundry sent the extravagant piece to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, where it was exhibited for a viewing fee. There, San Franciscan Michael de Young, a director and a national commissioner at large to the fair, saw it.
After the Chicago venue closed, the vase was shipped to California, an apt move with California wine already touted as the best in the United States. The vase was displayed at the Midwinter Fair of 1894 that was held in Golden Gate Park.  When the Midwinter Fair closed, de Young desired to keep the piece for the Memorial Museum he was about to launch.

Respectfully taken from: San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

by Christopher Pollock Book Compilation 2001, West Winds Press

Golden Gate Park

December 31, 2021

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

For more on the vase, visit this site:

Rightreading.com

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

by Paul Gustav Doré

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

Watch this 4-minute video to see how the National Gallery of Canada installed The Poem of the Vine.

In 2014, Gustave Doré's four metre tall and 6,000 pound bronze sculpture was on loan in Ottawa from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Stick around at the end to watch Paul Lang, the National Gallery of Canada's Chief Curator, explain how the sculpture tells the story of French wine.

National Gallery of Canada video

 

Larger playful figures feature Bacchus (the god of wine), Silenus (the drunken attendant and nurse to Bacchus), the goddess Diana (lover of the woods and wild things), satyrs (attendants to Bacchus), and bacchantes (priestess to Bacchus).

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

A close look at the base reveals, cupids battling growth-destroying insects.

 

The 6,000-pound cast bronze vessel has 58 separately formed animated figures, entwined with grapevines, visually narrating the story of winemaking.

 

A close look at the base reveals, cupids battling growth-destroying insects.

 

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

by Paul Gustav Doré

 

A close look at the base reveals, cupids battling growth-destroying insects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

by Paul Gustav Doré

 

The 6,000-pound cast bronze vessel has 58 separately formed animated figures, entwined with grapevines, visually narrating the story of winemaking.

 

Larger playful figures feature Bacchus (the god of wine), Silenus (the drunken attendant and nurse to Bacchus), the goddess Diana (lover of the woods and wild things), satyrs (attendants to Bacchus), and bacchantes (priestess to Bacchus).

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

by Paul Gustav Doré

 

 

. . . as cupids above squeeze the abundant fruit of its juice.

 

 

The 6,000-pound cast bronze vessel has 58 separately formed animated figures, entwined with grapevines, visually narrating the story of winemaking.

 

Larger playful figures feature Bacchus (the god of wine), Silenus (the drunken attendant and nurse to Bacchus), the goddess Diana (lover of the woods and wild things), satyrs (attendants to Bacchus), and bacchantes (priestess to Bacchus).

 

 

 

 

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

by Paul Gustav Doré

The 6,000-pound cast bronze vessel has 58 separately formed animated figures, entwined with grapevines, visually narrating the story of winemaking.

 

Larger playful figures feature Bacchus (the god of wine), Silenus (the drunken attendant and nurse to Bacchus), the goddess Diana (lover of the woods and wild things), satyrs (attendants to Bacchus), and bacchantes (priestess to Bacchus).

 

 

 

 

. . . as cupids above squeeze the abundant fruit of its juice.

 

 

The Story of the Vine (Poème de la Vigne)

by Paul Gustav Doré

 

 

 

 

The 6,000-pound cast bronze vessel has 58 separately formed animated figures, entwined with grapevines, visually narrating the story of winemaking.

 

 

Larger playful figures feature Bacchus (the god of wine), Silenus (the drunken attendant and nurse to Bacchus), the goddess Diana (lover of the woods and wild things), satyrs (attendants to Bacchus), and bacchantes (priestess to Bacchus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's Plant the Vine

(A French song from the 16th century)

1. Let's plant the vine, 
Here is the pretty vine,
Let's vine, let's vine, let's vine the wine,
Here is the pretty vine for the wine,
Here is the pretty vine!

2. From vine to growth,
Here is the pretty growth,
Let's grow, let's grow, let's grow the wine,
Here is the pretty growth for wine,
Here is the pretty growth!

3. From growth to leaf, 
Here is the pretty leaf,
Let's leave, let's leave, let's leave the wine,
Here is the pretty leaf for the wine,
Here is the pretty leaf!

4. From leaf to flower, 
Here is the pretty flower,
Let's flower, let's flower, let's flower the wine,
Here is the pretty flower for the wine,
Here is the pretty flower!

5. From flower to seed, 
Here is the pretty seed,
Let's seed, let's seed, let's seed the wine,
Here is the pretty seed for the wine,
Here is the pretty seed!

6. From seed to berry, 
Here is the pretty berry,
Let's berry, let's berry, let's berry the wine,
Here is the pretty berry for the wine,
Here is the pretty berry!

8. From berry to cluster, 
Here is the pretty cluster,
Let's cluster, let's cluster, let's cluster the wine,
Here is the pretty cluster for the wine,
Here is the pretty cluster!

9. From cluster to harvesting, 
Here is the pretty harvesting,
Let's harvest, let's harvest, let's harvest the wine,
Here is the pretty harvesting for the wine,
Here is the pretty harvesting!

10. From harvesting to basket, 
Here is the pretty basket,
Let's basket, let's basket, let's basket the wine,
Here is the pretty basket for the wine,
Here is the pretty basket!

11. From basket to vat, 
Here is the pretty vat,
Let's vat, let's vat, let's vat the wine,
Here is the pretty vat for the wine,
Here is the pretty vat!

12. From vat to barrel, 
Here is the pretty barrel,
Let's barrel, let's barrel, let's barrel the wine,
Here is the pretty barrel for the wine,
Here is the pretty barrel!

13. From barrel to glass, 
Here is the pretty glass,
Let's glass, let's glass, let's glass the wine,
Here is the pretty glass for the wine,
Here is the pretty glass!

14. From glass to mouth, 
Here is the pretty mouth,
Let's mouth, let's mouth, let's mouth the wine,
Here is the pretty mouth for the wine,
Here is the pretty mouth!

14. From mouth to stomach, 
Here is the pretty stomach,
Let's stomach, let's stomach, let's stomach the wine,
Here is the pretty stomach for the wine,
Here is the pretty stomach!

15. From stomach to earth, 
Here is the pretty earth,
Let's earth, let's earth, let's earth the wine,
Here is the pretty earth for the wine,
Here is the pretty earth!

16. From earth to plant, 
Here is the pretty plant,
Let's plant, let's plant, let's plant the wine,
Here is the pretty plant for the wine,
Here is the pretty plant!

(Respectfully taken from: Mama Lisa's World)

For the original French version of the song, Let's Plant the Vine

Visit: Mama Lisa's World

 

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