A Bust of Pope at Tottenham Park, Wiltshire in May, 1810.
Letter from Thomas Young concerning a bust of Mr Pope, with detailed sketch, 27th May 1810;
I visited Chippenham Archives and History Centre on Tuesday 12 March 2014 with great hopes that the letter of 27 May 1810 from Thomas Young to Lord Bruce regarding a bust of Pope at Tottenham Park, might clarify the identity of the bust mentioned in an Inventory of 14 Nov.1744.- A bust of Pope belonging to Charles, Lord Bruce,Viscount of Tottenham, d.1747. - Tottenham Park, Wiltshire. (10 poets heads on painted and gilt brackets, one ditto Mr Pope).
Unfortunately I feel the waters have been slightly further muddied by this visit. This letter refers to the positioning of a small bust of Pope on the pediment of a mirror (see scans). This letter refers to “ Mr Popes bust 15.5” tall including the socle. The drawing attached to the letter gives the sizes and shows it to be a half life size version of the Barber type bust which suggests that it is a similar plaster bust to that at Longleat. The letter goes on to say that the “the head hangs over so much that it will not stand”
The Pair of Corbel brackets from Tottenham Park, Wiltshire in the V and A are much too big ( height: 60.96 cm, width: 35.56 cm, depth: 26.67 cm) for a small plaster bust but are eminently suitable for full size marble busts.
From the V and A website - http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58581/bracket-burlington-richard-boyle/
Until things are clarified I think that a possible candidate for the bust of Pope at Tottenham Park and mentioned in the inventory of Lord Bruce of 1745 in Lord Bruce's study is the bust now at Yale Centre for British Art.
A catalogue of the intire and valuable museum of that
well-known collector, the late Joseph Browne, Esq. of Shepton-Mallet, ... Part
I. : Consisting of fine Greek, Roman, Saxon, English, and Anglo-Gallic, coins;
proofs, pattern pieces, and curious medals of royal and illustrious personages,
by Briot, Blandeau, Ramage, Simon, Rotier, Bower,&c. Also his books and
coins and medals, a capital miniature, by Cooper, of the Earl of Southampton,
set in gold ; a gold repeating watch, by Mudge and Dutton; rins, &c. Which,
... will be sold by auction, by Mr. Gerard, ... on Wednesday, March 16, 1791,
and the three following days, at half after eleven o'clock precisely.
Joseph Browne ….. This occurs in the catalogue of the sale
by auction in 1791 of the museum of curios, paintings, etc., etc., of Joseph
Browne, of Shepton Mallet, clearly a great, important, and interesting sale of
a wealthy man. The museum, etc., occupied March 16th and three following days;
the china 15th April and following day; paintings, coins, etc., 23rd May and
five following days; and 5th June came ancient and modern coins, manuscripts,
etc.
The catalogue describes the prints and paintings as —
consisting of a remarkably fine and curious collection of prints of the Italian,
German, Flemish, Dutch, English, and French schools, comprehending the best
works by or after Albert Durer, Goltzius, Elsheimer, Hollar, Rubens, Vandyck,
Jordaens, Teniers, Rembrandt, Bergheim, Ostade, Visscher, Walker, Faithorne,
Loggan, Vertue, Le Brun, Edelinck, Masson, Balechon, etc., etc.
Together with a few capital pictures and drawings by Rubens,
Berghem, W ouvermans, Brughell, Potter, Knyp, Both, Ostade, Ferg, etc.,
and a beautiful
marble bust of Alex Pope by Roubiliac.
14. A catalogue of the entire and valuable museum of that well-known collector, the late Joseph Browne, Esq. of Shepton Mallet, Somerset ... Part I. ... will be sold by auction, by Mr. Gerard ... on Wednesday, March 16, 1791,
15. A catalogue of the entire and valuable museum of that
well known collector, the late Joseph Browne, Esq. of Shepton Mallet, Somerset
... Part V. ... will be sold by auction, by Mr. Gerard … on Thursday 2d of June
1791
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