A work in progress!
The Nine Missing Wax Portraits by Isaac Gosset (1713 - 99).
C. 1745.
Disappeared!
Formerly at Chevening House, Kent.
For 250 years, the house was the principal seat of the earls
Stanhope, a cadet (and ultimately the final) branch of the Earls of
Chesterfield, from 1717 to 1967.
Perhaps originally from Mellerstain.
I was recently contacted by the Curator at Chevening House, in Kent who had been alerted to my ancient post on the Wax Portraits by Isaac Gosset which were previously at Chevening and as far as we know were last seen at the 1985 Exhibition - The Quiet Conquest - Huguenots, 1685 to 1985, at the Museum of London.
The Catalogue for The Quiet Conquest pub 185 was prepared by Tessa Murdoch (available on Amazon etc).
see - https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/06/group-of-wax-portrait-reliefs-of.html
The images I used in this post were very low resolution but by coincidence whilst trawling the very useful Paul Mellon Photographic Archive I came across some much better although not ideal images which I am posting here.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/people/2471/isaac-gossett/objects
The search box on the Paul Mellon Photographic Archive website could do with a bit of tweaking but persistence should bring results.
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It would be fantastic if someone sees these beautiful little objects and helps to restore them to Chevening.
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see - https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/06/group-of-wax-portrait-reliefs-of.html
I had put this old post together in order to perhaps see what the connections were between the Gosset family and Louis Francois Roubiliac. The website was then very much in its infancy a - I believe my research skills have much improved since 2016. I had not then made any links between the Gossets, the Dassiers and Roubiliac.
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The veiled portrait of Lady Grizel Baillie which initiated my original researches in 2016.
Lady Grizel Baillie (1665-1746).
Daughter of 1st Earl of Marchmont and Grandmother of Grizel, Countess Stanhope 1745.
Isaac Gosset.
She met George Baillie when they were twelve and supposedly, fell in love at that
point. What is known for certain is that after returning to Scotland, Lady
Grizel turned down the offer to be one of Queen Mary's maids of honour, and
insisted to her parents on marrying Baillie over a more advantageous match. The
couple had two daughters: Grizel (1692–1759), who married British Army officer
Sir Alexander Murray of Stanhope in 1710; and Rachel (1696–1773), who married
Charles Lord Binning in 1717 (and whose son Thomas became the seventh Earl of
Haddington).
Lady Grisell Baillie died 6 Dec. 1746 and was buried beside
her husband; Judge James Burnet, Lord Monboddo, a Scottish judge (1714-1799),
wrote an inscription of 40 lines in English for her monument. Burnet was the youngest son of George Baillies cousin Bishop Burnet.
The inscription of 60 lines of Latin text for her husband was written by Walter Harte.
This inscription was prepared in the workshop of Roubiliac.
Information below from Grisel Baillie by Lesley Abernethy pub Troubadour. 2020.
In November 1747, included in 'Mr Roubillac Statuary in London his '2 plates of Marble for the Monument containing 40 foot at 6 sh: a foot Æ12' followed with 'By ingraving of inscriptions on these plates of 2844 letters at
2d a letter Q3:14s'.
Louis-Francois Roubiliac is unlikely to
have carved the lettering for the Monument himself, leaving that to an assistant, but certainly carved the marble bust of
Grisell still on display at Mellerstain probably working from the 'mold in Plaster of Paris' taken on the morning of her death,
The bust costing £31:10s and 'a pedistel for it
with an inscription' a further two guineas.
Grisel herself also
sat to Roubiliac for a marble bust, his studio in St Martin's Lane being only a mile from her lodgings in Albemarle Street. Grisie's bust also cost £31:10s with two guineas for the
socle.
Terracotta busts at 10 guineas each of Grisie and her mother were sent to Tyninghame, and plaster of Paris busts at two guineas each were cast from moulds made from these, the moulds remaining with Roubiliac.
The inscription on the mausoleum
BUILT BY GEORGE BAILLIE OF JERVISWOOD
AND LADY GRISELL BAILLIE
A.D.1736
pious parents rear'd this hallowed place,
A monument for them, and for their race.
Descendants, be it your successive cares,
"That no degenerate dust ere mix with their's.
The Marble Bust of Lady Grizel Baillie.
Louis Francois Roubiliac.
The life size marble bust in the Library at Mellerstain.
Dated 1746 on the Socle.
Inscription
on the the front of the socle: LADY GRISEL-BAILLIE / AETAT 81AD / MDCCXLV1.
Roubiliac used this form of socle with the round panel and inscription on several of his busts including those of Sir Andrew Fountaine on his monument and on the bust at Wilton and Mary Fitzwilliam Countess of Pembroke at Wilton House, and on a marble bust of the Poet Paul Whitehead at West Wycombe Park.
These round panels also appear on the reverse side of several medallions by the Swiss Jaques Antoine Dassier (1715 - 59).
Jaques Antoine Dassier had come to England in 1741 where he
had assumed the position of third engraver to the Royal Mint (April 1741). He
had issues a prospectus reported in the press both in England and abroad for 13
medals (only 12 were produced) in 1741.
It has been suggested by Eisler ( in The Medals of the Dassiers of Geneva / Les médailles des
Dassier de Genève pub 2010) that the medallions were modelled in wax in England and struck in Geneva. This might suggest a link between the Gossets and the Dassiers.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2015/10/jacques-antoine-dassier-16-medallions.html
Image above of the Gosset Wax courtesy Paul Mellon Photographic archive.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/401081/lady-grizel-baillie-16651746-daughter-of-1st-earl-of-marc?ctx=22c10598cce466614d02d7a631fa05c0428c0bc7&idx=5
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Memoirs of the lives and characters of the Right Honourable
George Baillie of Jerviswood, and of Lady Grisell Baillie by Lady Murray of Stanhope pub, 1822.
https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/9556/95563588.23.pdf
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For an incomplete chronological list of the Portrait sculpture o Roubiliac see -
Bath, Art and Architecture: Chronological List of the Roubiliac Portrait Busts First Draught.
Lady Grizel Baillie.
Maria Verelst. (1680 - 1744).
circa early 18th century.
Portrait at Mellerstain
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Lady Rachael Binning (d. 1773).
1745.
Isaac Gosset.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/401101/rachael-lady-binning-1745-d-1773?ctx=22c10598cce466614d02d7a631fa05c0428c0bc7&idx=0
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The Hon. Rachel Hamilton (d. 1797).
Isaac Gosset.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/401021/hon-rachel-hamilton-1745-d-1797?ctx=22c10598cce466614d02d7a631fa05c0428c0bc7&idx=6
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Philip, 4th Earl Chesterfield 1745 (1694- 1773).
Isaac Gosset.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/401080/philip-4th-earl-chesterfield-1745-1694-1773?ctx=22c10598cce466614d02d7a631fa05c0428c0bc7&idx=2
The Jaques Antoine Dassier Bronze Medallion of Lord Chesterfield.
1743.
55 mm in diam.
Image courtesy London dealer Timothy Millet.
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Philip, 2nd Earl Stanhope (1714-1786).
1745.
Isaac Gosset.
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Thomas 7th Earl,of Haddington.(1721-1794).
Isaac Gosset.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/401102/thomas-7th-earl-of-haddington-1745-17210794?ctx=22c10598cce466614d02d7a631fa05c0428c0bc7&idx=1
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The Hon. George Baillie (d.1797).
Isaac Gosset.
https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/484601/hon-george-baillie1745?ctx=22c10598cce466614d02d7a631fa05c0428c0bc7&idx=7
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Lady Grissel Baillie.
Portrait at Mellerstain of Grisell, Lady Murray of 1725 by
Maria Verelst (Photo credit Ray Bird of Rare Bird Media) Lady Grisell’s elder
daughter Grisell, Lady Murray lived in her mother’s household consistently
except for very short periods between 1711 and 1714 when a legal separation was
arranged between herself and her husband Alexander Murray of Stanhope, whom she
had married in 1711 at the age of 17.
Image and caption above from -
https://www.manuscriptcookbookssurvey.org/essays/recipes-in-the-hands-of-lady-grisell-baillie-lady-murray-janet-kirk-and-may-menzies-and-the-identities-of-persons-credited-for-recipes/
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In the unpublished accounts, at Mellerstain - Lady Murray, on a page
headed 'Sundry expenses London 1747' writes
'For ten little picturs by Mr Gooset (sic) in wax his price to sit 3
guinies, a copy one guinie - £15:15:0
For Mr St Clair four of these picturs £4:4:0'
Also of interest in Lady Murray's accounts, on 6th December
1746, the day of Grisel's death:
'For taking a mold in Plaster of Paris' £1:5:0'.
Unfortunately there it seems there is no mention of who actually took the mask - was it Gosset or Roubiliac?
It would appear that Roubiliac perhaps worked from a death mask for his portrait bust of Grisell.
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Isaac Gosset was the sixth son of Jean Gosset and was probably born in St Helier,
Jersey.
Also active as a frame maker. Initially he may well have
been associated in this aspect of his work with his elder brother Gideon, and
for some of the earlier commissions it is not easy to distinguish
responsibility.
Until 1774 he worked from the same address as his brother in
Berwick Street, but from this year moved to 14 Edward Street, Portman Square.
In January of that year he was appointed ‘Joyner to His Majesty’ and from the
next year the business is sometimes referred to as Gossett & Co.
Isaac Gosset was married to Françoise Buisett (also a Huguenot) in
Soho in 1737. They were parents to six children.
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Isaac Gosset died 1799 his address was given as Edward Street, Portman Square on his will.
Ref .PROB 11/1334/56 - Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
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https://bifmo.furniturehistorysociety.org/entry/gosset-isaac-1713-99
https://bifmo.furniturehistorysociety.org/entry/gosset-jacob-1701-1788
James Gossett is recorded as working as a modeller in wax
and picture framer in Berwick Street, Soho, in The Universal Director, or the Nobleman's and Gentleman'
True Guide to the Masters and Professors of the Liberal and Polite Arts by
Thomas Mortimer, 1763.
Jacob Gosset was at Warwick Street, Golden Square, London; picture frame maker
(b. 1701- d.1788).
Matthew Gosset of Poland St.
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Wax Portrait Relief of Isaac Newton by Matthew Gosset (1683
- 1744).
10.5 x 8.5 cms.
It is recorded in the minutes of the Spalding Gentleman's
Society that in 1729 George Johnson of Durham School presented to the Society's
Museum 'a curious effigy of the Hon. Sir Isaac Newton ... made in profile in
the manner of a medaglion by the ingenious Mr Gosset'.
The Spalding Gentleman's Society of Spalding in Lincolnshire
was established
by Maurice Johnson of
Ayscough Hall, (1688 - 1755) in 1710 and
incorporated as 'a Society of Gentlemen, for the supporting of mutual
benevolence, and their improvement in the liberal sciences and in polite
learning', in 1712. With the death of Maurice Johnson in 1755 the Society
became moribund but was revived in the
mid 19th Century. It is still active today and has a Museum in Spalding.
For their website see -
http://www.spalding-gentlemens-society.org/
For the Gentleman's Society at Spalding: Its Origin and
Progress pub. 1851. see -
https://archive.org/details/gentlemenssociet00moorrich
This work includes a list of members of the Society, amongst
whom the lumineries were in no particular order Sir Isaac Newton himself, Dr
William Stukeley the Antiquary, George Vertue the artist and engraver,
Alexander Pope, John Gay the poet, Michael Rysbrack the Sculptor, Dr Richard
Mead, Sir Hans Sloane, Samuel and Nathaniel Buck engravers, Martin Folkes,
Theophilus Desaguliers, Charles Jennens of Gopsall Hall. Smart Lethuillier
Maurice Johnson - also established the Stamford Society,
c.1721; he was barrister in the Inner Temple, 1710; hon. librarian of the
Society of Antiquaries, 1717;
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Of tangential interest Robert Adams Drawing at the Soane Museum for the Library at Mellerstain.
https://collections.soane.org/prints/item-print?id=THES97127
