Thursday 4 November 2021

A Pair of Plaster Heads cast by Peter Vanina at Thirlstane Castle

 

Post under construction

A Pair of Plaster Heads cast by Peter Vanina. 

1751

at Thirlstane Castle.

Lauder, Scottish Borders TD2 6RU Scotland.

Photographs below courtesy Art uk website.










This bust is inscribed Puer? Vanina, 1751.

No size given.

Both busts described  on the website as acquisition method gift from Captain the Honourable Gerald Maitland-Carew.


https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/two-draped-female-heads-262563/search/venue:thirlestane-castle-7378/page/7


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In a letter from Michael Rysbrack to Sir Edward Littleton dated 21 January 1758, the sculptor wrote: According to Your Desire, I have Enquired of Mr. Vannini, the Caster in Plaster of Paris (whom I employ when I want) what the Expence will be, of a Mould off your Honour's Bust, and each Cast out of it: it will be a thing Entirely out of my way. For the Mould the Expence will be three Guineas, and each Cast, out of it, will be 16 Shillings. When I receive your Orders if you will Please have it Done or not, I will send them on the first Notice, all of them being Ready ...

 A month later, on 28 February 1758, Rysbrack again wrote to his patron providing us with further interesting information: I Received the Favour of Yours of the 14th Instant, this is to Satisfie Your Honour, that Mr. Vannini assures me that Making the Mould on Your Bust will not Detriment it, the Mould when made will be Good to Cast 15 or 20 Casts out of it. I have deferred sending the Other Busts till after next week, when the mould will be made, and when I will send them all together, the Mould will be 3 Weeks or a Month before it will be ready to Cast any out of it.. .







London Evening Post 19 December 1767


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Public Advertiser 27 March 1770.


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Gazeteer and New Daily Advertiser 17 March 1772.

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Collection of Charles Rogers purchased from Vanini – Bronze of Duke Lorenzo of Medici after Michaelangelo 26 September 1768 for £10 10 shillings – 

Info from - An Exhibition of Old Master and English Drawings and European Bronzes: From the Collection of Charles Rogers (1711-1784) and the William Cotton Bequest on Loan from the City Museum and Art Gallery, Plymouth ... Held in [Sotheby's] New Gallery ... London ... 20th August to ... 31st August 1979 ... and Afterwards at Sotheby Bearne Rainbow, Torquay ... 5th September to ... 7th September 1979.

 

 

 

                                The Peter Vanina Sales.

 

 On 4 and 5 April 1770, Christie had a further sale of 'the Valuable stock in Trade of the ingenious Mr. Peter Vanina of Dover-Street, Piccadilly (going Abroad)'. 

There were 90 lots. 

Competitors running plaster shops included: John Cheere who bought: First Day: Lot 69, The Virgin Mary visiting St. Elizabeth (plaister Basso Relievo, bronzed); 2nd Day: 3, Three (figures) of Hercules, a Ceres and a Venus, 15/-; 6. One figure of St. Jerome, and eight boys, &c. £1. 10. St. Elizabeth and St. John on her knee, 12/-; 28. Susannah (plaister), £1-10; 45. Ditto of Susannah, ditto; 56. Two barso relievos (plaister) £1. 10/-; 57. One ditto of boys and a dolphin £1. 10/-; 58. Two ditto £1. 10/-; Venus Celeste, from the Tuscan gallery, five feet four inches high £8-10/-.

[Richard Parker bought] Lot 13, two vases; Lot 14, A rhinoceros; Lot 18, Horace and Pope, with brackets (Plaister Bronzes); Lot 29, David and Goliah's [sic] head; 36, David and Goliah's head; 40, Two vases; 53, Duke of Cumberland (Plaister Bust); [59A ... bt £1-9-0, Parker].

 Oliver bought Lot 24, Homer (Plaister Figure); 25, Dryden (Plaister Figure); 46 Ditto of Venus de Medicis, ditto; 89, Antique Boxer, six feet high (Large Plaister Figures, from the original).


For the 1777 stock list of Charles Harris formerly partner of Richard Parker see -  http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/01/charles-harris-catalogue.html

 


 

The following two lists were downloaded and transcribed from the Getty Provenances website.

It is difficult to make complete sense of these two lists and some of the catalogue appears to be missing from the second transcription here – the details of lots 48 to 69 are missing.

This will probably change as more information appears.

 

First List transcribed from the Getty Provenances website.

 

 Two lions and a greyhound réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.5 gs. [45]

Three figures of Apollo, Venus, and Leda vendue au prix de 0.6 gs. [46]

Three ditto figures of Hercules, a Ceres and a Venus réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.15 gs. [47]

Cicero and Pope réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, au prix de 0.7 gs. [48]

Ben Johnson réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, au prix de 0.6 gs. [49]

One figure of St. Jerome, and eight boys, &c. réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, au prix de 1 gs. [50]

One ditto figure of Dryden, and two vases réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, au prix de 0.15 gs. [51]

Two sphinx's réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina [52]

Two lions réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, vendue par The ingenioius Mr. Peter Vanina, Of Dover-Street, (Going Abroad) au prix de 0.16 gs. [53]

St. Elizabeth and St. John on her knee réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.12 gs. [54]

An anatomy and an Antinous réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.10 gs. [55]

One, a Mercury réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.13 gs. [56]

A rhinoceros réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.8 gs. [57]

A couching Venus réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.10 gs. [58]

A Venus with the shell réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 0.13 gs. [59]

Two small heads, our Saviour and the Virgin Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 1.16 gs. [60]

Two small figures, Ganemede and Bacchus, after Michael Angelo Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 2.11 gs. [61]

A gladiator Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 4.17 gs. [62]

Hercules and Anteus Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 6.17 gs. [63]

A sacrifice Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 2 gs. [64]

Ditto A sacrifice Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, 2.5 gs. [65]

Ditto A sacrifice Bronze réalisée par Mr. Peter Vanina, de 2.6 gs. [66]

The judgment of Hercules, by Mr. Rysbrack, a basso relievo Bronze réalisée par Mr. Rysbrack 5.2 gs. [67]

One Sampson A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique 3.3 gs. [68]

David and Goliah's head A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique réalisée par Antique, 3.2 gs. [69]

Apollo A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique réalisée par Antique, 3 gs. [70]

Antinous A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique 3.2 gs. [71]

comme Mars A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique réalisée par Antique 3.4 gs. [72]

A group of Castor and Pollux A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique) 4 gs. [73]

 

 

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The Second transcription of the Christie’s Sale of Peter Vanina - 5 April 1770.

from the Getty Provenance’s website –

https://piprod.getty.edu/starweb/pi/servlet.starweb?path=pi/pi.web

Lot 1. Two heads, a Madona, and a vestal.           (are these versions of the Thirlstane busts

Lot 1. Two lions and a greyhound            

Lot 2. Ditto [Two heads] of Prior and Congreve                                 

Lot 2. Three figures of Apollo, Venus, and Leda

Lot 3. ditto [Two heads] of Shakespear and Milton                                          

Lot 3. Three ditto [figures] of Hercules, a Ceres and a Venus        

Lot 4. Ditto [heads] of Apollo, Julius Caesar, and Antinous                                                            

Lot 4. Cicero and Pope                                 

Lot 5. Ditto [heads] of Sir Walter Raleigh and Ben Johnson                           

Lot 5. Sir Isaac Newton and Ben Johnson                                             

Lot 6. One head of Seneca                                         

Lot 6. One figure of St. Jerome, and eight boys, &c.          

 [One head] of Demosthenes     

Lot 7. One ditto [figure] of Dryden, and two vases            

Lot 8. Two sphinx's                         

Lot 9. Two lions,               

Lot 10. Elizabeth and St. John on her knee           

Lot 11. An anatomy and an Antinous      

Lot 12 One, a Mercury  

Lot 14    A rhinoceros     

Lot 15 A couching Venus              

Lot 16    A Venus with the shell   

Lot 19 of Flora                  

Lot 20    Ditto [One] of Hercules  ,

Lot 21    Ditto [One] of Susannah

Lot 22 Ditto [One] of Venus                        

Lot 23 Ditto [One] of Sampson                  

Lot 24Ditto [One] of a young Mars           

Lot 25    Ditto [One] of David with Goliah's head 

Lot 26 Ditto [One] of an anatomy             

Lot 27 Ditto [One] of Saint Andrew                                          

Lot 28 Ditto [One] of Venus de Medicis                   

Lot 29 Ditto [One] of Germanicus            

Lot 30 Two fauns, with the goat, and Bacchus and Silenus             

Lot 31 Ditto [One] of Shakespear, and a bracket

Lot 32 Ditto [One] of Spencer, and ditto [a bracket],        

Lot 33  A Venus and craw-fish, and a piping faun                                

Lot 34 Heads of Boys                                      

Lot 35   Ditto [Two heads] of the Niobe's              

Lot 36   Ditto [Two heads] of Shakespear and Pope,           

Lot 37   One of Caracalla [bust] 

Lot 38  [One] of Antinous [bust],

Lot 39    of Demosthenes and the Aegyptian priestess [busts],

Lot 40 One of a faun, and a bracket [bust]

Lot 41 The young Senator and his mother [group]                            

Lot 42    and Psyche [group] (companion to lot 43)

Lot 43  Its companion (companion to lot 42, "Cupid and Psyche"  

Lot 44   Sampson and the lion [group]

Lot 45  Castor and Pollux [group]               

Lot 46  Hercules and Atlas [group]                            

Lot 47 Laocoon and his sons [group]

_______             

Lot 70 Two hands, by Mr. Rysbrack [model]                                       

Lot 71    Three ditto [hands], by ditto [Mr. Rysbrack] [model] 

Lot 72    Two ditto [hands], by ditto [Mr. Rysbrack] [model]

Lot 73    One bust of Virgil, by ditto [Mr. Rysbrack] [model]               

Lot 77    The judgment of Hercules, by Mr. Rysbrack, a basso relievo [Bronze],

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Lot 70   Small heads, our Saviour and the Virgin [Bronze]  ,              

Lot 71    Two small figures, Ganemede and Bacchus, after Michael Angelo [Bronze]            

Lot 72    A gladiator [Bronze]         

Lot 73    Hercules and Anteus [Bronze]                     

Lot 74    A sacrifice [Bronze]

Lot 75    Ditto [A sacrifice] [Bronze]          

Lot 76    Ditto [A sacrifice] [Bronze]                            

One Sampson [A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique]         

Lot 79    David and Goliah's head [A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique]     

Lot 80    Apollo [A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique]         

Lot 81    Antinous [A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique]   

Lot 82    Mars [A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique]           

Lot 83    A group of Castor and Pollux [A Model of a Figure, brought from Rome, after the Antique]


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Peter Vanina owned a pair of the statuettes of Rubens and van Dyck which were disposed of from his house in Dover Street in his 2nd sale of 3 July 1770 on the occasion of 'his going abroad',

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The Statuettes of William Shakespeare and Peter Vanina

These statuettes are inscribed PV on the back of the pedestal.


I have touched on the statuettes of Shakespeare previously 

see - http://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-rysbrack-statuettes-of-rubens-van_6.html


If Peter Vanina supplied the plaster cast of Shakespeare used by Enoch Wood then he had probably cast his from an original by John Cheere - perhaps pirated would be a better description.

...................................

William Shakespeare 
Wood or Wood and Caldwell
Burslem, Staffordshire
Late 18th / early 19thCentury
Height 46.4 cms
Marked on the back of the pedestal PV
Possibly from a cast made by Peter Vanina
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge











After the monument in Westminster Abbey, designed by William Kent (1684-1748), and executed by Peter Scheemakers (1691-1761) in 1740. 

They say reduced-scale plaster casts were produced by Scheemakers from his terracotta model, now lost, and by other London sculptors, notably John Cheere. 

The initials 'PV' moulded into the back of the pedestal of this and some other figures for example, in the Schreiber Collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum (Schrebier Catalogue II, 311), may indicate that its moulds were produced from a plaster supplied by Peter Vanina,

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Another statuette of Shakespeare. 

Victoria and Albert Museum

Marked on the back incised PV.

No size given - they say exceptionally large!

presumably the same size as the Fitzwilliam version.



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William Shakespeare.

Height 18".

Previously with Bath and Bradford on Avon dealer Andrew Dando.

Incised PV.



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The Winterthur Shakespeare. 

Probably Wood and Caldwell.

Winterthur.

Incised mark PV.

No size given  - 


http://museumcollection.winterthur.org/print-record.php?srchfld=irn&name=128670&port=40138&output=HTML&version=100

The green finish is very similar to the pair of statuettes formerly with Stockspring Antiques.


see my previous post -

http://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2021/04/terracotta-statuettes-of-duquesnoy-and.html

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William Shakespeare.

Plaster Statuette.

Very fine, First Generation Plaster statuette by John Cheere supplied to Kirkleatham.


                                        by John Cheere Supplied to Kirkleatham in 1749.

Height 19.5 inches.

 

Image Supplied Courtesy York Museums Trust.

York Museum.


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Ham House.

Lacking the Scheemakers incised signature mark on the base of the column.

Possibly Cheere but equally could have come from his moulds and a later version made by Harris of the Strand, or Shout of Holborn.



Shakespeare.

Plaster statuette.

Height - about 18",

at Arniston House, Scotland.

For more photographs and details see my post on the statuettes and busts in the upper library at Arniston.

 - http://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/01/


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