Monday, 12 August 2024

Terracotta Bust of Francis Bacon at Wilton House by Louis Francois Roubiliac.


Post under construction.


The Portrait Sculpture at Wilton House. Part 2.


I am very grateful to the 18th Earl and Countess of Pembroke for allowing me to visit with my camera and giving me free access to the sculptures outside visiting hours.

I am also very grateful to all the staff at Wilton, Charlotte Spender, Sandie Buxcie, and in particular the House Manager Nigel Bailey and all at Wilton who made me feel most welcome.


The  Terracotta Bust of Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626). Lord Verulam.

by Louis Francois Roubiliac.

at Wilton House.


This is the prototype for both the Roubiliac bust of Bacon at the Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge, and the bust of Bacon in the Long Room at Trinity College Library, Dublin. - 

It is unclear whether the Dublin bust is an autograph work by Roubiliac but was almost certainly from his studio.

There are some minor differences in these busts.


The modelling on the terracotta bust is superb, particularly in the detail of the hair, ruff and jerkin.

This bust has sustained substantial damage, some if not all in the firing and there is, as in the Pembroke terracotta evidence of overpainting probably to disguise the damage.

As in all the Roubiliac terracottas the head is hollow which lessened the risk of cracking. This is the French method, Michael Rysbrack's busts were generally solid and frequently have surface firing cracks which required his busts to be painted.

Both this bust and the bust of 8th Lord Pembroke have been stripped probably using a chemical stripper. this has left slightly oily patches on the surface - they now appear an almost bright orange which to me is not very pleasing but it does allow us to see the fine tool marks which are particularly obvious on the Bacon bust.



The Wilton House Guides.

James Kennedy 1758.

I can find no mention of the Bacon Bust although the busts of Fountain and Martin Folkes both by Roubiliac are mentioned.

https://archive.org/details/newdescriptionof00kenn/page/n7/mode/2up

The bust is mentioned in the 1769 Guide by James Kennedy A New Description...... page 65 situated on the Chimneypiece in the New Dining Room along with the bust of Thomas Earl of Pembroke and the bust of Isaac Newton  - the bust of Newton has disappeared. This suggests that the bust of Newton was perhaps also a terracotta by Roubiliac. 

https://archive.org/details/descriptionofpic00cowd/page/n1/mode/2up?q=Roubiliac




Francis Bacon (1561-1626); A Very Brief Biography.


Francis Bacon  was a lawyer, statesman, philosopher, and master of the English tongue. He was born at York House off the Strand, London, the youngest son of the Lord Keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon. 

From 1573 to 1575 Bacon was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, which goes some way to explain the presence of the Roubiliac bust of Bacon in the Wren Library at Trinity. 

In 1576 he was admitted as an "ancient" (senior governor) of Gray's Inn, and he took up residence there in 1579. After becoming a barrister in 1582 he progressed and, in time, became a Queen's counsel extraordinary, solicitor general and attorney general.

In 1584 he sat as member of Parliament. He later sought a post for himself in James I's services. He was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in March 1617. The following year he was made Lord Chancellor and Baron Verulam, and in 1620/21 he was created Viscount St. Albans. In 1618 he fell foul of George Villiers over the issue of the marriage of the daughter of his old enemy, Sir Edward Coke, and fell from power.




































The firing crack on the right hand side proper of the bust plainly visible.













It was almost impossible to photograph the back, but it is obvious that there is a single prop and the head is hollow.



This is the terracotta from which the Marble bust of 1751 in the Wren Library at Trinity College, Cambridge was taken.

........................................




A Photograph of the Wren Library Marble and the Wilton Terracotta for comparison.

Both photographs taken by the Author.

These busts are the sculptors masterpieces- their quality outshines most of the sculptors  other works.








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The Wren Library Marble Bust of Francis Bacon.

Louis Francois Roubiliac

Trinity College, Cambridge.

Inscribed Right side proper on he -

LF Roubiliac Sculpit. 1751.


H 63 x W 22 x D 60 cm.

The Gift of Daniel Lock.

This bust follows closely the terracotta at Wilton.

The Trinity College, Dublin Bust has some minor differences in the hair and dress but the socle with the panel on the front is the same.

All the busts at Trinity were photographed by the author in 2016.

I would like to thank Dr Nicolas Bell of the Wren Library, for facilitating the photography of the sculpture at the Wren Library.




























































The Inscription -

Ex Dono 

Daniel Lock

Hugus Collegij AM

..........................................


The Marble Bust of Francis Bacon in the Long Room, Trinity College Library, Dublin.

Lois Francois Roubiliac.

Unsigned.

There are some minor differences with the terracotta and the Trinity College Marble.

Photographed by the Author 7 October 2016.















































Note the single button on the sleeve.







.............................


The Harris Manchester College, Oxford,  Plaster Bust of Francis Bacon.

H 75 x W 62 x D 30 cm.

The detail is the same as the Wilton terracotta and the Trinity College Wren Library Marble.

The shape of the socle and sharpness of the detail might suggest an 18th Century date.

Roubiliac certainly produced plaster casts of his work from at least 1738, when he sent casts of Handel to Sir James Harris, and busts of Alexander Pope and Bolingbroke for Lord Marchmont. There are no records of moulds or busts in his 1762 posthumous sale.

Images from Art UK website.





A Life size plaster bust of "Le Grand Chancelier Bacon" was included in the  French version of the Catalogue of  Charles Harris of the Strand in 1777 at 2 guineas, another  height 24 inches at £1 6s.
Harris was still in business in 1794.

Until now the only known copy of a catalogue of the output of Charles Harris is that in the National Arts Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum - it is undated and in English.

 A transcribed copy of this publication, which is virtually the same appears in The Marble Index by Malcolm Baker, pub Yale 2014.




A Bust of Bacon (life size) is included in the catalogue of Robert Shout of Holborn c. 1800 - 1820.














































.......................



A early 19th century plaster bust of Francis Bacon after Roubiliac.

This bust is taken from the terracotta / Wren Library version -
Two buttons on the sleeve of the jerkin.

No bust of Bacon was included in the Roubiliac Sale at his studio in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, but this does not mean that casts were not sold in his lifetime


The style of the socle with eared support suggests perhaps Pietro Sarti (1793 - 1868).

see for instance -

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-sarti-busts-at-wimpole-hall.html

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


Dimensions: 58cm (22.8") H: 77cm (30.3").

Ex Collection Peter Hone.

Previously Bellmans Auctioneers, previously Sotheby's.



https://www.talesfromtherookery.com/en-GB/plaster-casts/a-19th-century-plaster-bust-of-francis-bacon-after-roubiliac/prod_11589

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 For Sarti see - https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/research/programmes/british-bronze-founders-and-plaster-figure-makers-1800-1980-1/british-sculpture-makers-s

For the Shouts see - https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/research/programmes/british-bronze-founders-and-plaster-figure-makers-1800-1980-1/british-sculpture-makers-s#SH




























...............................



Medallion by Dassier.

1733.

4.1 cms.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_G3-IP-200

for more on the Dassier medallions see my previous post -

 https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2015/10/medallions-of-english-worthies-by-jean.html





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Portraits of Francis Bacon


Francis Bacon.

Paul van Somer (c. 1576-1621).

Łazienki Palace, Warsaw. Poland




Another full length probably contemporary version.

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw00261/Francis-Bacon-1st-Viscount-St-Alban


..........................

Francis Bacon.

Engraving Crispijn de Passe the younger.

c. 1617 - 30.

British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_P-1-62



Note the similarities here with the bust by John Cheere (see images below)

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Francis Bacon.

Étienne Desrochers.

French Engraving

c. 1720 - 40.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1853-0112-2027






.......................


Francis Bacon Engraving.

After Paul van Somer I  (1576/1578–1622).

George Vertue.

1728.




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Roubiliac almost certainly used this engraving to produce the Wilton Terracotta of Francis Bacon.

Francis Bacon

George Vertue.

Engraving after van Somer.

1734.

Image courtesy British Museum.








........................................


Francis Bacon.

Engraving from a Painting in the possession of Martin Folkes by John Vanderbank

1738.

Print made by: Jacob Houbraken.

Published by: John and Paul Knapton.

After: 

British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1927-1126-1-7-5



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A Marble Bust of Francis Bacon 

by John Bacon the Elder (1740 - 99).

After Louis Francois Roubiliac.

1796.

Private Collection.

I am very grateful to the owners for providing these photographs.







































..........................


The Marble Bust of Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626).


by Edward Hodges Baily.

Magdalen College, Oxford.

Adapted by Hodges Bailey from the original by Louis Francois Roubiliac.
note the addition of the cloak.

1828.

Paired with the bust of John Locke.
also by Edward Hodges Baily.

The drilling of the details of the ruff rather let this bust down.


The first mention of a bust of Locke by Baily after Roubiliac is in Christie's Sale - Robert Vernon Esq.  5 July 1849. Lot 101 - £45.13  Bought Sir G Sergeller (?)

 

The two busts of Locke and Bacon by Hodges Bailey after Roubiliac are noted as being in the Library at Magdalen College in 1866 in The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science... Vol. 4; vol.67.

 

There is a marble bust of Newton by Hodges Bailey copied from the bust by Roubiliac in the Wren Library now in The National portrait Gallery - it differs slightly from the original in detail (as do both of these busts) in that the sculptor has omitted the inner chemise. It is also dated 1828 (see below).

___________________

 

 Edward Hodges Baily was a pupil of John Flaxman and was principally known and regarded for his neoclassicism, especially his poetic works, such as Eve Listening to the Voice (Victoria and Albert Museum, London). He was also an experienced portraitist, producing over 130 portrait busts in his career, and applied for numerous public commissions for portrait statues, including an unsuccessful bid to carve the statue of George Canning in Liverpool Town Hall (Baily’s model is in the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery). 

In 1839 he won the commission to carve the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson for the top of the column in Trafalgar Square, the work for which he is best remembered.

 

For a more in depth biography see

 A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain, 1660 - 1851. pub Yale 2009 and

 see - http://liberty.henry-moore.org/henrymoore/sculptor/browserecord.php?-action=browse&-recid=100&from_list=true&x=0

 see - http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib7_1218119321


I would like to thank, Sir David Clary, Lady Heather Clary and Rachel Mehtar at Magdalen College Oxford. and Stephen Hebron of the Weston Library, Oxford for allowing me to visit and to photograph the busts under their care.
































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The Royal Collection Marble Bust of Francis Bacon.

After Roubiliac

Here suggested as by Edward  Hodges Bailey.

The detailing follows closely that on the Wilton terracotta and the TWren Library Marble.








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The Plaster Busts of Francis Bacon by sculpted in the workshop of John Cheere

at Hyde Park Corner and the copies of the Cheere bust by Shout of Holbourn.

Robert Shout 1760 - 1843.



The Kirkleatham Bronzed Plaster Bust of Bacon.

Cast by John Cheere.

It uses the typical Cheere type panelled socle.

Perhaps the invention of John Cheere or someone in his workshop - very loosely based on the Roubiliac bust.

Height 56 cms.

Supplied by Cheere in 1749 to Cholmley Turner (1685 - 1757) of Kirkleatham Hall, Yorkshire.

The house was demolished in the 1950's


One of a series of 9 busts and 10 statuettes supplied by John Cheere.

Purchased at the Kirkleatham Sale of 1951.

Now with York Museums.


This bust should be compared with the bust as supplied to Wedgwood and Bentley by Hoskins and Grant (see below). The Wedgwood bust has an eared socle.

It appears that Hoskins and Grant had use of the original mould or had perhaps  pirated the bust by John Cheere. This needs to be clarified!












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The Wedgwood Busts in the Wedgwood Collection at the V and A.








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Wedgwood Collection V and A.

The Base of Another Bust of Bacon

NB Round Socle and three buttons and shortened trunk.

The website gives o size or date but it has the three buttons as in the Wedgwood basalt bust without socle (above).

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1406957/bust/








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Presumably the head from the above Bust










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The Hughenden Manor Plaster Bust.

Adapted from the original from the workshop of John Cheere.

Note longer trunk and the eight buttons on the front.

inscribed on reverse 'BACON R SHOUT HOLBOURN'.

Shout were in business by 1785.

The earliest catalogue/list of their stock is probably of about 1815.

Height 54 cms.

On long-term loan to Sudbury Hall in 1983 from Hughenden Manor.

Hughendon was the country home of Benjamin Disreali.


https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/652362
















There are several more Shout busts at Sudbury on loan from Hughenden. -

Bust of an unknown man - 48.3 cms.

.....

Bust of John Locke - 58.4 after the Scheemakers bust at Trinity Dublin.

....

Bust of Edmund Spencer - 45.7 cms after the Plaster Cheere bust at the Wren Library, Trinity College Cambridge.

.................

Bust of Joshua Reynolds. - 50.8 cms
after the bust by Giuseppe Ceracci, after the marble at The Royal Academy, London.



For the busts of Reynolds see my blog post. There is a plaster cast of this bust adapted by Sarti at the Athenaeum Club



......................

A Bust of Francis Bacon.

Alongside busts of F. Hoffman and Sydenham.

Card engraved by Darling of Gt Newport St.

1783

British Museum.






.........................


Francis Bacon.

William Larkin (1585 - 1619).
.
c.1617.

Trinity College ,Cambridge.

Gift from Peter Burrel in 1751.





.......................

For good measure here is the Rysbrack Terracotta of Francis Bacon.

Signed on reverse 'Michl. Rysbrack 1755'.

Overall sizes 610 mm x 520 mm x 330 mm.

Obviously derived from the van Somer portrait.

This is one of eight busts of British worthies made by Rysbrack for Sir Edward Littleton's new house, Teddesley Hall near Stafford (now demolished), when he was furnishing it in neo-classical style. They essentially comprised four pairs: Raleigh (SCU0043) and Bacon, Shakespeare and Pope, Cromwell (SCU0014) and Milton, and Newton and Locke.

https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-63946








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The Bust of Bacon in the Temple of Worthies at Stowe Buckinghamshire.

The Temple of Worthies was designed by William Kent and erected c. 1735.

Carved for the Temple of Fame.

Michael Rysbrack.

c 1729.

Portland Stone.


Photograph by the Author.






...........................

A marble bust of  Francis Bacon, by John Bacon  I (1740 - 99). Signed and dated 1796, at Raveningham Hall, Norfolk . (ref. Gunnis).

Raveningham Estate have been contacted and hopefully we will obtain photographs.
.................



Hoskins and Grant and the Wedgwood Bust.

The relationship with the Cheere bust at Kirkleatham (images above) is apparent. It is not a straight copy but was adapted by Wedgwood probably by the "ingenious boy" William Hackwood.



James Hoskins ( - 1791) of Hoskins and Grant supplied a bust of Bacon to Wedgwood in  January 1775 along with busts of Swift, Milton Spencer, Chaucer Addison Pope Locke, Dryden, Dr Johnson, Ben Jonson, Sir William Reigley (Sir Walter Raleigh?), Prior Congreve, Fletcher, Beaumont, Boyle, Harvey and Newton. All are untraced, Ref Wedgwood MSSLI/115

Both Hoskins and Grant were former apprentices of John Cheere at Hyde Park Corner. Hoskins was apprenticed in 1747 and was described as foreman to Mr Cheere in a puff in the London Evening Post, December 1751 concerning the successful treatment of a leg ulcer of William Collins with "Iron Pear Tree Water". alongside Cheeres workforce  John Fulford Richard Breach and John Candy.

Not entirely relevant to this study but an amusing aside!

Horace Walpole (1717-1797) mentioned it in a letter of 1753 to Sir Horace Mann, a senior British diplomat; it was not a recommendation. such was its reputation. It is reported that the water tasted unpleasant and bitter, and Mr Borwick's venture was short-lived. Iron Peartree House still stands today on the old coaching road just south of Godstone Surrey.



It would appear that Hopkins with Samuel Euclid Oliver from 1770  and by 1775 with Benjamin  Grant, As Hoskins and Grant they continued the business of making and selling plaster busts and figures after Cheere had wound down his business - the details of this this needs to be clarified.




The Wedgwood Black Basalt bust of Francis Bacon.



Probably Adapted from the cast supplied by Messrs Hoskins and Grant in January 1775.

Height 47 cms.

Late 1770's

Impressed marks BACON" "K" WEDGWOOD

Image courtesy V and A. Museum.







.......................


The Potomack Company Auctions, Lot 2033 30 Sept. 2021, Wedgwood Bust of Francis Bacon.

Formerly in the Lauer Collection.

Height 16 inches.













I intend to put together researches into the Wedgwood busts and their relationship with John Cheere and his contemporaries in due course.

........................

Some works consulted - not exhaustive.

A description of the pictures, statues, busto's basso-relievo's, and other curiosities at the Earl of Pembroke's house at Wilton. The antiques of this collection contain ... Richlieu's and ... Mazarine's, and ... Earl of Arundel's; ... By Richard Cowdry.  1751.

https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_a-description-of-the-pic_cowdry-richard_1751/page/n1/mode/2up

The 1752 Edition also available online.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.35013350?seq=11


A New Description of the Pictures, Statues, Bustos, Basso-relievos, and other curiosities at the Earl of Pembroke's house at Wilton. In the antiques of this collection are contain'd the whole of Cardinal Richelieu's and Cardinal Mazarine's, and the greatest part of the Earl of Arundel's; besides several particular pieces purchas'd at different times. 1758. James Kennedy.

https://archive.org/details/newdescriptionof00kenn/page/n7/mode/2up?q=Hall


Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain 1660 - 1851 pub. Yale 2009.

The Making of the Wren Library, edited by D. McKitterick, p. 110. Baker, Malcolm. ‘The Portrait Sculpture’ pub 1995.

Both the following are very outdated and cannot be entirely relied upon.

Roubiliac’s work at Trinity College Cambridge. Esdaile, K.A

Recently digitalised - and available online at https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/esdaile1928

 Esdaile, K.A. The life and works of Louis Francois Roubiliac. Pub 1929





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