Sunday, 30 August 2015

Alfred The Great, Terracotta bust from Queen Caroline's Library, Destroyed in 1906.

 
 
Terracotta bust by Michael Rysbrack.

Alfred the Great
 
One of the Eleven Busts from Queen Caroline's Library by Michael Rysbrack.

Seven were accidently destroyed when a shelf collapsed at Windsor Castle in 1906.
 
The Original Photographs were taken by Livingstone in 1874 for a royal inventory.

The busts had been moved to Windsor Castle in 1825 when Queen Caroline’s library at St James’s Palace was demolished.
 






 
 


The Terracotta Bust of Alfred the Great.

This bust had until now been wrongly identified as Edward III.
 
Royal Collection Trust / © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2015.

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The Stourhead marble bust of Alfred the Great by Michael Rysbrack.


























Dreadful lo res photographs from the Nat Trust website.



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Portland Stone bust of Alfred the Great by Michael Rysbrack.
 
in the Temple of British Worthies at Stowe.

The terracotta at Windsor was obviously the model for the Alfred the Great Bust at Stowe 


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The earliest representation of Alfred the Great is in Matthew Paris's Major Chronicle of c.1250. 

The portrait above was commissioned by Thomas Walker master of University College Oxford. The claim that Alfred the Great was the founder of the college had been promulgated by William Camden (1551 - 1623) who published Brittania  in 1586 first  in Latin and later in English - 1603 edition of Asser's Life of King Alfred.
 
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Late 17th century Engraving of Alfred the Great.

Michael Burgers.
 
From the Stone head of Alfred the Great at Brasenose College, Oxford.

Engraved by Michael Burgers (1653 - 1727).

43 x 44 mm (cut).
 

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Engraving of the head of Alfred the Great.

by Michael Burgers (1653 - 1727).

258 x 158 mm.
 
Showing two stone heads - the left head being the obvious inspiration for the engraved portrait of Alfred the Great.

Note - Michael Burgers, Engraver, born Amsterdam, emigrated to England 1672/3. 

Working in Oxford, initially as Loggan's assistant from 1673, and appointed (or was called) University engraver after Loggan's death in 1692. Engraved the university almanacks.
 
British Museum.
 
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Late 17th century engraving by Michael Burgers.
 
253 x 158 mm
 
 
Portrait, half length, of Alfred the Great, wearing crown, ermine mantle and holding sceptre, from a statue (?) in St Albans; below two portraits of Alfred with orbs and sceptres; from a window at All Souls' College, Oxford.
 
British Museum.
 
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Headpiece from Unidentified book attrib. to Michael Burgers.

74 x 186 mm.
 
British Museum.
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Frontispiece from Sir John Spelman's Life of Aelfred.1709.
 
 
 
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Mezzotint of Alfred the Great.

Engraved by John Faber Snr. 1712.

257 x 200mm.

British Museum.
 
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Engraving Anon mid 18th Century
 
156 x 93 mm.
 
NPG.
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Engraving by Giles King.

pub. James Mechell.

c.1733 360 x 230.

British Museum. 

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Engraving by George Vertue 1732.

From Paul Rapin de Thoyras

288 x 191 mm.
 
British Museum 
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  Alfred the Great.

Engraving by George Vertue.

162 x 92 mm

NPG.
 
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Alfred the Great.
 
Plaster Roundel in Caesars Hall, Kedleston. Circa 1760.


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The Joseph Wilton Bust of Alfred the great at University College, Oxford.





Image above from the Paul Mellon Centre Photographic Archive.

https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/406981/bust-of-king-alfred


In 1771, when he was 21 years old, Jacob, 3rd Viscount Folkestone and later 2nd Earl of Radnor presented this bust to the College, costing him £51 18s. This work is based on the bust of King Alfred by Rysbrack at Stourhead, Wiltshire, ordered by Henry Hoare in 1764.


Some more poor low resolution images from the Art UK website.




Whilst the aims of the project are laudable - one has to ask why post such poor quality low resolution photographs. 

At the beginning of the project I had volunteered to take photographs for the scheme but the need for an expensive high resolution camera and to take photographs of stuff that didn't interest me put me off the idea.











































 
 
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