Bath, Art and Architecture

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

The Sarti Plaster Busts at Wimpole Hall, (part 2) Milton.

The Sarti Plaster Busts at Wimpole Hall, Cambridge

(part 2).

John Milton (1608 - 1674).

For the Sarti bust of Alexander Pope at Wimpole see my previous post.

Included in this post is the similar plaster bust of Milton at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. It has a similar eared base to the bust but the prop at the back is quite different.

The subject of the busts of Milton is complicated by the many different busts made of him from the 17th Century. It has been my intention to try and make sense of all the different types - but this posts has been created as a sort of aide memoire to record the 18th and early 19th century versions of the plaster busts.

Pierce, Scheemakers Rysbrack and Roubiliac and John Cheere all made busts of Milton

These illustrated here are based on what appears to be the first recorded plaster version by John Cheere at the Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge (below).

The Wren Library plaster bust of John Milton

John Cheere

Trinity College, Cambridge.

Life size.

The busts below are derived from this bust or casts from this bust.

Photographs above taken by the author

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Illegible inscription on the back of the prop. Whilst the work of the Art UK sculpture project can only be applauded I could take issue with the low resolution of some photographs. It would have been really useful to have a better snap of this inscription.

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John Milton

The Athenaeum Club

Plaster

Known to be by Sarti see -

http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/athenaeum/catalogue.html

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John Milton

Plaster

Thickly overpainted.

Height 68 x W 52 x D 32 cm.

No obvious inscription on the back.

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.

Photographs below courtesy Art UK sculpture database website see -

https://www.artuk.org/discover/artworks/john-milton-16081674-265596

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The 4 life size bronzed plaster busts at West Wycombe, including that of Milton appear to be late generation versions of the Cheere type busts. I was unable to get to the back of them but they are close to the Sarti versions. (check this info).

Low resolution images at West Wycombe taken by the author under very difficult conditions.

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These bust are derived from the engraved portrait by William Faithorne (1620 - 91).

Milton

Faithorne

NPG

Milton - Engraved by George Vertue after Faithorne.

Poor, low quality scans from the NPG (why do they do this?).

Note to directors of NPG - take a look at the Rijksmuseum website for an object lesson in how to run a museum website properly.

There are two busts of Milton in the church of St Giles, Cripplegate, City of London . The 1793 bust of Milton on the south wall was made for the church by Bacon and paid for by Samuel Whitbread, of the brewery family. There is another bust, under the organ gallery, by the sculptor George Frampton.

Tuesday, 23 February 2021

18^th Century Portrait Sculpture in Dublin.

David Bridgwater's Blog Posts list prepared for the Dublin Sculpture Website of Dublin City Council .

https://www.sculpturedublin.ie/

A list of links -

Probably amateurish, not exhaustive and by its very nature the posts will need to be udated and added to as more knowledge becomes available.

This blog has been written in an almost stream of consciousness fashion, but I do try to get my facts straight and to provide references - as with any visual subject I believe it is most important to provide good photographs and pictures to illustrate the subject.

Please forgive any omissions and mistakes.

I am happy to discuss the subject with any interested parties and am particularly keen to obtain any historical photographs.

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The Busts in the Long Room of the Library at Trinity College, Dublin.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-busts-in-long-room-of-library-at.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-boyle-in-long-room-at-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-locke-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-newton-in-long-room-at-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-milton-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-bacon-in-long-room-at-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-shakespeare-in-long-room.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-homer-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-socrates-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-plato-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-aristotle-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-cicero-in-long-room-trinity.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-archbishop-usher-in-long-room.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/11/jonathan-swift-by-roubiliac-trinity.html

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Portrait Sculpture at the RDS, Dublin.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/11/busts-of-jonathan-swift-at-rds-part-2.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-busts-of-jonathan-swift-at-rds.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/monument-to-13th-earl-of-kildare.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/unknown-man-attributed-to-john-van-nost_16.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/marble-bust-of-thomas-prior-by-john-van.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/bust-of-william-maple-by-patrick.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/marble-bust-of-samuel-madden-by-john.html

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/11/jonathan-swift-by-cunningham.html

Dublin Castle – the Bronze Bust of Lord Chesterfield by Louis Francois Roubiliac.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/bust-of-lord-chesterfield-by.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-dublin-castle-bronze-bust-of-philip.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-dublin-castle-bust-of-lord_11.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-dublin-castle-bust-of-lord.html

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-dublin-castle-bronze-bust-of-philip.html

The Statue of George II, formerly at Weavers Hall, Dublin.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/08/statue-of-george-ii-and-weavers-hall.html

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/10/statue-of-george-ii-and-weavers-hall.html

A Statue of William Shakespeare after Scheemakers at Kilmainham.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/01/shakespeare-after-scheemakers.html

A Statuette of van Dyck after Rysbrack

and the brief Biographies of the Gahagan Dynasty of Sculptors.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-rysbrack-statuettes-of-rubens-van_38.html

Simon Vierpyl at Charlemont House, Dublin.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2019/08/library-busts-in-charlemont-house-dublin.html

An Anonymous bust (perhaps Irish).

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2019/07/possibly-irish-marble-bust.html

Statue of St George Ussher St George, Baron St George, Tyrone House, Galway.

Perhaps formerly in the Dublin Town House.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2017/10/statue-of-st-george-ussher-st-george.html

John van Nost III – A recent study.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2017/05/john-van-nost-iii-recent-research-greg.html

The Equestrian statue of George II John van Nost III, St Stephens Green, Dublin.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/10/george-ii-st-stephens-green-dublin.html

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/09/list-of-english-and-irish-equestrian.html

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/08/equestrian-statue-of-george-ii-by-john_3.html

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/07/equestrian-statue-of-george-ii-formerly.html

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/07/equestrian-statue-of-george-i-by-van.html

The Miniature Equestrian Statue of George II by John van Nost III, at Dublin Castle.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/10/miniature-lead-equestrian-statue-of_15.html

William and Katherine Conolly by Thomas Carter.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/07/william-and-katherine-conolly-by-thomas.html

Brief Biography of John van Nost III.

https://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/07/brief-biography-of-john-van-nost-younger.html

Monday, 22 February 2021

The Sarti Busts at Wimpole Hall (part 1). Pope

The Plaster Busts (Part 1).

Supplied by

Pier Angelo Sarti (1793 - 1868).

Now at Wimpole Hall, Cambridge

National Trust

Images courtesy Art Uk sculpture database website.

Alexander Pope after Roubiliac

Bronzed Plaster.

Height 62 x W 45 x D 20 cm.

The bronzing appears to have recently been refreshed.

Comparison with the British Museum plaster known to have come from the Roubiliac Studio bought at the posthumous sale by Dr Maty, suggests that this bust was cast from a mould closely related to the BM bust.

One of a suite of busts by Sarti at Wimpole - Dryden, Locke, and Milton all have the same eared base to the bust on the socle found on classical busts and much used by Cavaceppi and Albacini sculptors working in Rome in the 18th century.

There is also a plaster bust of William Pitt the Younger after Nollekens at Wimpole bronzed in the same fashion which they say is by Sarti (this needs to be checked).

These busts may originally have been at Wimpole, but are more likely to have been acquired as a job lot after 1936” by Captain George and Elsie Bambridge, who owned and refurnished the house.

The type of socle on this was also much used by the plaster figure manufacturers Benjamin and Robert Shout (c. 1760 - 1835) of Holborn, busts of Pope, Milton, Locke and Dryden all appear in an undated early 19th century unillustrated catalogue of Charles Harris (d. 1795) with a price list and dated 1777.

see my blog post - http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2016/01/charles-harris-catalogue.html

They also appear on the Sarti Busts at the Athenaeum with the rest of the socle cut off.

see -

http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/athenaeum/catalogue.html

This website provides an excellent potted history by John Kenworthy Brown of the 14 busts supplied by Sarti in or just after 1830 to the Athenaeum.

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The British Museum Plaster Bust of Alexander Pope.

Height: 62 centimetres.

Width: 42 centimetres (max.)

Depth: 21.30 centimetres.

Acquired from the posthumous sale of the contents of Roubiliac's studio at St Martin's Lane.

Presented by Dr Matthew Maty, 1762, who purchased it at Roubiliac's sale, either lot 9, first day's sale, 12 May 1762, or lot 3 or lot 14, second day's sale, 13 May 1762, or lot 2, third day's sale, 14 May 1762.

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For the further examples of this Roubiliac bust of Pope including the marble in the Royal Collection see -

http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-royal-collection-marble-bust-of.html

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Alexander Pope.

Roubiliac. probably carved in the workshop.

The V and A Marble bust.

Height with Pedestal 62.7 cms.

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O77789/alexander-pope-bust-roubiliac-louis-francois/alexander-pope-bust-roubiliac-louis-fran%C3%A7ois/

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Alexander Pope.

after Roubiliac.

Plaster bust

560 cms.

The panelled socle was frequently used by John Cheere.

The bust is slightly shorter than the other Roubiliac type plasters having lost a couple of inches off the bottom of the drapery

The Plaster has a pronounced forward lean and the hair is slightly cruder than the Barber Roubiliac terracotta of Pope, but the modelling of the face, neck and clothing is of excellent quality (note the second smaller fold on the edge of the chemise).

The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, Volume 95, Part 2, 1825, with reference to Stourhead mentions "a most spirited bust of Pope by Roubiliac which is generally admired".

The attribution to Harris of the Strand of c 1780 by various authors, I think should be questioned.

My current opinion is that it is a reduced version from the Roubiliac workshop.

The Stourhead bust of Alexander Pope.

Photographs above by the author.

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Alexander Pope.

After Roubiliac.

Plaster.

Sold alongside busts of Milton, etc at Sotheby's sale, Prior Park Bath, 29 October, 1998.

Property of William Rees Mogg.

A Roubiliac type very similar to the bust at Stourhead the head again with a pronounced forward lean, but this one less truncated with a different, Cavaceppi type socle.

This style of socle was much used by Shout and Sarti.

Wimsatt was unaware of this bust.

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The Athenaeum Plaster Bust of Alexander Pope.

A lost Plaster bust of Alexander Pope (1688-1744) by Sarti was formerly at the Athenaeum and is one of the four busts now missing.

Supplied by P Sarti in 1830. This is not the marble bust by Rysbrack which was bequeathed to the Club in 1868 and sold in 1986, but a plaster almost certainly based on the bust by Roubiliac as the Wimpole Hall example illustrated above.

There is a bronzed bust of Pope, which was formerly at Shardeloes and now at Birmingham (Baker, 128, 155, fig.66). but a close inspection reveals that the Shardloes bust is the same type as the bust in the Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge and is a version of Pope by Cheere - a telling detail is the embroidery on the drapery which is a typical Cheere feature in my opinion (see my post). Below is another plaster bust perhaps also by Cheere.

see - http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2018/02/

In 1833, the Athenæum bust was paired with one of Locke.

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The Calke Abbey busts.

Possibly supplied by John Cheere.

The form of socle is typical of Cheere.

The Calke Abbey bust of Pope alongside the busts of Shakespeare and Milton.

Alexander Pope.

Plaster.

540 x 330 mm.

Calke Abbey - National Trust.

Perhaps by John Cheere .

The style of the socle and embroidered drapery on this bust were much used by Cheere.

This bust is very close to a marble bust of Pope photographed by the author in a private collection in Twickenham in 2001 see:

http://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2014_01_19_archive.html

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The Sarti bust of Pope was moved downstairs at the Athenaeum in 1846, and there is no further mention of it.

Info above from John Kenworthy Brown - see -

http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/athenaeum/catalogue.html

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A Plaster bust of Pope signed JP Papern (Papera), 16 Marylebone St, Golden Square, was in the possession of Mrs Webb and mentioned in her book Michael Rysbrack, Sculptor, pub. 1954 p. 78.

Note: Bartholomew Papera fl. 1790 d.1815. Early 19th century London plaster figure seller.

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For a catalogue of plaster anatomical figures by Sarti circa 1850 see -

https://wellcomecollection.org/works/drsadxx7