Bath, Art and Architecture: July 2016

Monday 25 July 2016

Bronze Bust of Lord Chesterfield Victoria and Albert Museum.

Bronze Bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope

Fourth Earl of Chesterfield

Louis Francois Roubiliac.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Purchased from dealer Simon Spero in 1959 for £90.

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127094/philip-dormer-stanhope-fourth-earl-bust-roubiliac-louis-francois/

Marble Bust of Lord Chesterfield - National Portrait Gallery.

The Marble bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope,

Fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694 - 1773).

by Louis Francois Roubiliac.

National Portrait Gallery.

This bust of Lord Chesterfield is signed and dated 1745, ad vivum (from the life). Sittings must have taken place after Chesterfield's return from his diplomatic mission to The Hague (May 1745) and before his departure to take up office as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (July 1745).

This bust had belonged to George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, of Tutenkhamun fame, until 1918 when it was sold at Christie's London.

It is likely to have passed into the Carnarvon's possession via Lady Evelyn Stanhope, the sister and heiress of the 7th Earl of Chesterfield, who married the 4th Earl of Carnarvon in 1861.

In the Collection of Col. Sir Edward Allen Brotherton in 1959 when it was displayed at Kenwood House in an Exhibition of English Portrait Busts

Sold again at Christie's London, lot 70 3, April 1985.

Plaster Bust of Lord Chesterfield, British Museum.

Plaster Bust of William Dormer Stanhope

Fourth Earl Chesterfield

Louis Francois Roubiliac.

British Museum.

Purchased at the posthumous Roubiliac sale by Matthew Maty the biographer of Chesterfield - either lot 9 in second day's sale, 13 May 1762, lot 18 in third day's sale, 14 May 1762, or lot 20 in fourth day's sale, 15 May 1762.

Donated by Matthew Maty in 1762

The following photographs were lifted from the British Museum Website.

see - http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?searchText=Chesterfield&ILINK|34484,|assetId=480356001&objectId=31423&partId=1

Unfortunately the resolution and lighting are not very good, with the possible exceptions of the black and white images no's 4 and 5 below. I will endeavour to obtain better photographs in due course.

For an informative and in depth study of this bust see -

Portrait Sculpture A Catalogue of the British Museum Collction, 1675 - 1975, by Aileen Dawson pub.1999, British Museum Press.

Height 66.3 cms

Cleaned at the Victoria and Albert Museum 8 November 1951.