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Piano Nobile is delighted to present four new large scale artworks by Grayson Perry. Each print has been issued in a limited edition and is included in his current solo exhibtion 'Delusions of Grandeur' at the Wallace Collection. For this show Grayson Perry created an imaginary character named Shirley Smith; a self-taught artist from the East End of London, who considered herself to be “the thwarted legitimate heiress” to the Wallace Collection.
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Grayson Perry (b. 1960)
My Home, 2025
Woodcut on paper
Sheet: 100 x 160 cm | 39 3/8 x 63 in
Edition of 15 -
Hertford House and the Wallace Collection are a poor person's dream of how a rich person's home should look. It is a grand mansion stuffed with ornate furniture and art. To this day tourists come and photograph themselves in its opulent interiors to play-act, if only for a moment, that they live here. Shirley Smith took this a lot further. When we draw something, to a certain extent we take possession of it; as is often said, we capture it. Here is a young Millicent standing at the entrance of Hertford House greeting a friend and her friend's mother. It is a luxurious fantasy of domestic bliss. As it was for the hero on the heartbreaking denouement of Yann Martel's novel The Life of Pi, perhaps Shirley's imaginary past was a comforting refuge from the awful truth.
Grayson Perry
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When we take a selfie, we might apply a filter or adjust the exposure so that the photo is more striking and our skin smoother. Perhaps we want to show the world how we see ourselves. This portrait is how Shirley Smith saw herself; it is a mirror to her self-soothing delusion. Millicent is the essence of regal elegance. She is desirable, stylish, rich, confident and a crack shot.
Grayson Perry
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Detail of The Honourable Millicent Wallace (orange/pink), 2025
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Grayson Perry (b. 1960)
A Tree in a Landscape, 2025
Etching on paper
Sheet: 152 x 102 cm | 59 13/16 x 40 1/8 in
Edition 10 of 58 -
“Shirley Smith was obsessed by her family tree. Here, the impressive collection of miniatures from the Wallace Collection are imagined as a family tree... The face in the bark? Well, that’s me.”
Grayson Perry
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For availability and prices please contact the gallery.
Grayson Perry | New Work: Online Viewing Room
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