The Plaster Bust of the Poet Paul Whitehead at West Wycombe Park.

 

The Louis Francois Roubiliac (1703 - 62) Plaster Busts of the Poet Paul Whitehead (1710 - 74).

Two versions were put up for sale in the sculptor's posthumous sale, 12-15 May, 1762, being lots 14 of the first day - a plaster bust and 15 of the third day again in plaster.

Paul Whitehead, Sir Francis Dashwood and John Wilkes (elected 1754) and William Hogarth were all members of the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks. (Membership limited to 24)

Paul Whitehead wrote the epitaph on the 1749 monument to the Duke of Argyle (d. 1743) in Westminster Abbey by Roubiliac.

The socle of this bust is the variation of the fairly standard square plan tapering version used in England throughout the mid 18th Century but with the circular Dassier type medallion on the front as seen in the Roubiliac busts of Sir Andrew Fountaine of 1747 (Wilton House and Narford Church, Norfolk), the marble bust of the Countess of Pembroke of c. 1750 (Wilton House), the marble bust of Henry 9th Earl of Pembroke (Wilton House) the Marble bust of Lady Grissel Baillie inscribed 1746 (at Mellerstain House) and the marble bust of Lady Murray 1747 (also at Mellerstain) 

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The Plaster Bust of Paul Whitehead- sold Christie's, London, Lot 142, 4 July 1989.

with the more typical socle of the mid 18th Century.

The image below courtesy the Paul Mellon Photographic Archive.

https://photoarchive.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk/objects/406662/paul-whitehead

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The Mellerstain Marble Busts.

The terracottas of these two busts at Tyninghame have the plain square section waisted so