Monday, 23 June 2025

Two unidentified busts by Michael Rysbrack.



 The Ashmolean Museum Marble Bust and The Bust at West Wycombe Park.


The Ashmolean Bust on loan from a Private Collection.































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The West Wycombe Bust.


















More Missing Rysbrack Busts.

 Culled from Biographical Dictionary.... pub. Yale 2009.

 

Samuel Butler pre 1732 (Vertue).

 Ben Johnson (Vertue).

 Sir Thomas and Lady Hewitt untraced Vertue.

 Thomas Ripley - Architect - Rysbrack Sale of 1765, lot 18.

 Matthew Tindall, from a death mask (Biographica Britannica 1763).

 Captain Aubin (Vertue) pre 1732.

 Colonel James Pelham (Vertue) pre 1732.

 Lord Macclesfield (Vertue) pre 1732. A so called bust of Macclesfield is discussed in an article in the Georgian Group Journal Vol XV!! 2009 by David Wilson. I am not convinced. The Socle and support would suggest a much later date. see -

https://georgiangroup.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GGJ_2009_02_WILSON.pdf

 

Mr and Mrs Booth (Vertue) pre 1732.

 Mr Halsey.

 Mr Holland 'Herald Painter'.

 Sir Thomas and Lady Hewett (Vertue) pre 1732.

 Mr Mason.

 

Mr Milner.

Mr Morett.

 Mrs Davenport.

 Mrs Nash.

 Sarah Duchess of Marlborough.

 Queen Caroline - almost certainly the plaster version at Queens College, Oxford.


Chiselden (Cheselden) a recently exhibited portrait.

 




William Cheselden by Jonathan Richardson the Elder.

Drawing with London Dealers Lowell Libson and Jonny Yarker.

Summer Exhibition 2025.

https://www.libson-yarker.com/exhibitions/summer-exhibition/william-chiselden


Graphite on vellum.

5 ¾ × 4 ⅞ inches · 146 × 124 mm

Signed with initials.

Inscribed and dated ‘Wm Chiselden Esqr Feb. 13. 1735-6’, 

also inscribed on the verso ‘Wm Chiseldon Esq. Surgn 12. Feb. 1735/6’

Jonathan Richardson snr. collector’s mark: bottom left [Lugt. 2184]

Jonathan Richardson jnr. collector’s mark bottom right [Lugt. 2170]



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Portrait of William Cheselden.

Jonathan Richardson the Elder

The doctor, at the age of forty-seven; wearing a wig.

Pen and brown ink, over graphite.

British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1866-0714-17




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William Cheselden.

by Jonathan Richardson.

1720's or 1730's.

140 x 118 mm.

 

This portrait is of the anatomist and eminent surgeon William Cheselden, who was one of the closest friends of the artist, Jonathan Richardson. It is one of a series of small chalk and graphite drawings of friends and acquaintances that Richardson made in his retirement. Some of these images were drawn from memory and together, they represent a sustained project in recording friendships across Richardson's whole life. Drawing was the perfect medium for this project as it allowed Richardson to produce a large number of images quickly and was closely associated with friendship and intimacy.

 

Text and image © National Portrait Gallery, London.








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Cheselden.

by Jonathan Richardson.

British Museum.




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Cheselden.

Mezzotint Faber after Richardson.

1753.

Image courtesy Wellcome Collection.

The original oil painting is in the Royal College of Surgeons.









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I have posted on the portraits of Cheselden previously -


Cheselden from Roubiliac Esdaile.








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The Bust of Cheselden in the Royal College of Surgeons paired with the bust of Belchier.

Photograph from a tweet by Eleanor Crook Sculpt @CrookEleanor




William Cheselden (1688 - 1752).

The  Plaster bust.

It has sustained some damage to the drapery.

 Life Size. Height 61 cms.

 I suspect the turned socle is a replacement.

 I am very grateful to Bruce Simpson, Curator, Royal College of Surgeons for providing this photograph.



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Cheselden after Roubiliac 

Henry Weekes.

1871.
St Thomas Hospital London

Photographed by the author.

On 3 June 1871, Dr Leonard W. Sedgwick, wrote to the Governors of St Thomas', offering, on behalf of 'old Students of the Medical School of this Hospital', marble busts of William Cheselden and Sir Richard Mead, both by Henry Weekes RA. 

The offer was formally accepted by the Grand Committee at its meeting of 6 June 1871.






























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Of tangential relevance to this post.

 

A Medallion by William Wyon c. 1827/8

in the BM.

The Profile Adapted from the Roubiliac Bust.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_M-8617