Another post prompted by the investigation into the use of Roubiliac's "late type" socle on a bust by an, what has been until now anonymous sculptor - as far as I can tell the type of socle appears to have only been used in the 1750's by Roubiliac and is probably based on the precedent of the socle used by the Carrara sculptor Giovanni Antonio Cybei (1706 - 84),
see my previous post on the Chapman Bird brothers busts.
Once again a big thank you to Dino Tomasso of Tomasso Brothers for initiating this study, with researches into the origin of a bust of Laocoon which led to researches into the specific type of socle seen on the first two busts illustrated here and the identification of the sculptor of several previously unattributed mid 18th century busts.
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For a very useful article by Clare Hornsby on the architecture of West Wycombe see -
Clare Hornsby, "The House and the Drawings Collection
at West Wycombe Park: Dashwood's Educated Taste", Art and the Country
House, https://doi.org/10.17658/ACH/WWE518
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The Three Busts of Sir Francis Dashwood at West Wycombe Park.
Here attributed to Louis Francois Roubiliac.
This has been a very unusual opportunity to examine three contemporary 18th century plaster busts of the same sitter. It is worth mentioning that there also three busts of John Fayne, the Earl of Westmorland by Adye at West Wycombe (the marble is in the V and A.
Two other members of Sir Francis Dashwood's so called Hell Fire Club were also sculpted by Louis Francois Roubiliac. see my posts - John Wilkes and Paul Whitehead.
For the bust of Wilkes see -
For the bust of Paul Whitehead see -
Within the South Portico in front of the Hall is a series of plaster busts most of which appear to have suffered from some weathering and have been painted very badly (straight on to the uncleaned surface perhaps at least twice to resemble a sort of bronze but this paint is thick and flakey and it is impossible to tell the quality of what remains of the original surface underneath.
All three busts of Sir Francis Dashwood are plaster casts although the bust in the Entrance Hall has been painted to resemble terracotta.
This bust has a substantial wooden peg or dowel visible from beneath the back suggesting that it might have been damaged in the past and the head reattached and the surface restored.
The bust of Francis Dashwood in the South Portico has been painted to resemble bronze and is in the worst condition of the three.
No.1 the Plaster Bust of Francis Dashwood in the Entrance Hall on the South side of the House.
Photographed by the author with permission from the Dashwood estate office - I am very grateful to have been allowed this opportunity once again.
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No 2. The Plaster Bust of Sir Francis Dashwood in the "Stewards Room".
The bust itself is in by by far the best condition and gives a good impression of what the sculptor intended.
The Socle has been broken and glued back together and painted black
Painted in the traditional Stone Colour.
I will need to return to West Wycombe to determine whether this is the original finish and how many coats of paint have been applied.
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The Third Bust of Sir Francis Dashwood, now in the Portico at West Wycombe.
This bust has the swept back base typical of many Roubiliac busts - this suggests to me that it might be one of the first casts taken from the original terracotta. and that the bases of the two busts illustrated above have been adapted so that they sit comfortably on the (Roubiliac Late Type) socles.
It would be useful to know when this bust and the series of classical plaster busts which all have the same finish as this bust (except for the bust of Nero) in the Portico were painted. and what with?
It would be a very interesting exercise to have this overpainting removed and to be able to investigate what might be left of the original surface.
for a brief, measured and sensationalised biography of Dashwood see -
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