Bonhams Auctions Lot 138 - 17 Febrtuary 2026.
A terracotta bust of David la Touche II.
55cm high, 47cm wide, 22cm deep approx
Attributed to John van Nost the Younger (Flemish/British, 1713-1780).
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/31663/lot/138/attributed-to-john-van-nost-the-younger-flemishbritish-1713-1780-a-sculpted-terracotta-bust-of-david-la-touche-ii/
John van Nost III (the Younger1713-1780), nephew of Flemish born British sculptor John Van Nost I, was best known for his work produced in Ireland during the mid-18th century.
His career began as an apprentice to Henry Scheemakers in 1726 with whom he stayed with for seven years, and he was likely to have worked under the helm of his father or uncle.
Following his move to Dublin in 1749, he executed numerous portrait busts, public monuments, and equestrian statues, notably a statue of George III for Dublin City Hall. Another significant bust he produced, depicting George III in 1767, is now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The terracotta bust shown here depicts the businessman David La Touche, who made his fortune as a banker in Dublin in the early 18th century.
The marble bust of David La Touche by John van Nost is held in The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in California, accession number 67.54:
https://huntington.emuseum.com/objects/3098/david-la-touche-irish-huguenot-banker
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The Marble bust of David Digges (Digues) La Touche.
Nost was working mostly on but sometimes off in Ireland from 1749 - 87.
Patrick Cunningham was taken on as an apprentice by John van Nost in May 1750.
John van Nost III is first mentioned in the Royal Dublin Society's papers in 1749 when he is described as living in Jervis Street where he exhibited models in plaster.
Van Nost made a number of return visits to London: these included one in 1753 or 1754 to hold sittings with King George II for the equestrian statue in St Stephen's Green, another in 1763, when he had a London address 'At Mr Clarke's, St Martin's-lane, opposite May's-buildings',
In 1763 he was listed in Mortimer’s Universal Director ‘at Mr Clarke’s, St Martin’s-lane, opposite May’s-buildings’ (p 28; Rate-Books 1763, Cleansing Street Rates, F6007).
for Anthony Malone see - https://www.dib.ie/biography/malone-anthony-a5418
In 1779 the sculptor was residing at No. 21 Mecklenburgh
Street, Dublin and in that year, on 19th October, his statue of "Hugh
Lawton," Mayor of Cork, 1776, was erected in Cork.
J T Smith later recollected that Nost had lived at 104, St Martin’s Lane, in a large house, once inhabited and decorated by King George I’s sergeant painter, Sir James Thornhill.
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I have written fairly extensively on the sculpture of John
van Nost III but I need to return to the subject and attempt to put a proper
biography together. Here are links to some of my scribblings.
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/bust-of-lord-chesterfield-by.html
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/10/marble-bust-of-samuel-madden-by-john.html
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2017/09/busts-david-garrick-at-garrick-club.html
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-monument-to-sir-arthur-acheson-in.html
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/07/blog-post.html
https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2024/02/hewetson-in-rome-part-15-henry.html
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but why do museums such as this post such low resolution poor quality images?
https://emuseum.huntington.org/objects/3098/david-la-touche-irish-huguenot-banker
for more on the La Touche family see -
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