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.
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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.
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.
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]
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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.
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.
William Shakespeare.
Height 18".
Previously with Bath and Bradford on Avon dealer Andrew Dando.
Incised PV.
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Probably Wood and Caldwell.
Winterthur.
Incised mark PV.
No size given -
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.
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.
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/
