The Bust of the Countess of Pembroke and the bust of Princess Amelia at the Fitzwilliam Cambridge both by Roubiliac.

 

This post to be expanded upon in due course!

The Busts of Countess of Pembroke at Wilton House and Princess Amelia in the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge.

 by Roubiliac 

I have already published at length on the 18th Century Sculpture at Wilton see -

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2024/08/portrait-sculpture-at-wilton-house-no-3.html

What I failed to notice was the similarities in her dress with that on the bust of Princess amelia at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

see -

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-marble-bust-of-princess-amelia.html

I have already written about the way in which Roubiliac replicates the dress on several busts. 

Most recently - on the bust of James Lawes on his monument in Jamaica (inscribed John Cheere 1736) and the lead bust of an anonymous man at the V and A.

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-monument-inscribed-by-john-cheere-in.html

There is so far no documented proof of later reports that Roubiliac was working for or subcontracting to Henry Cheere in his workshops at Westminster prior to 1738, but the evidence presented here strongly suggests a close working relationship with both of the Cheere brothers.

We do not know what Roubiliac was doing until 1736 with reports in the press of his busts of Farinelli and Senesino.

Another example which immediatly comes to mind.is the bust of Hawksmoor at All Souls College, Oxford which uses the same dress as several busts by Roubiliac - the bust on the William Withers monument at Wooten St Lawrence, Hampshire, the bust of Thomas Missing on the monument at Crofton and the bust on the Gounter Nichol Monument at Racton - 

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2024/11/the-bust-of-william-wither.html

The busts of Andrew Fountain at Wilton House, and its several variants, the bust of Thomas Winnington on his monument at Stanford on Teme, Worcestershire and the bust of John Bamber on the monument in Barking Church, Essex all use the same basic drapery.

The bust of John Belchier at the Royal College of Surgeons and Matthew Lee - both again use the same drapery - in this case open shirts.

The busts of John Ray (Marble Trinity College Cambridge and terracotta in the British Museum), Jonathan Tyers marble (Birmingham Museums and the terracotta at the V and A ) and the terracotta of Henry Streatfield in the Mausoleum at Chidingstone, Kent, again these busts all use the same drapery. see -

https://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.com/2016/12/bust-of-john-ray-in-wren-library.html

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

Most if not all of the secular busts , which have been previously ascribed to Henry Cheere were probably not carved by him but were made in his workshop or sub contracted  - several very fine lead busts which have previously been ascribed to Henry Cheere were probably given the attribution based on the use of lead by his brother whose workshop at Hyde Park Corner set up in 1738.

Much of John Cheere's early working life remains a mystery until  1738 when he acquire (along with his brother the properties of the van Nosts at Stone Bridge on the North side of what became Portugal Row and later Piccadilly, at Hyde Park Corner.

Princess Amelia (1711 - 86) -Third Child (second daughter) of George II and Queen Caroline.

Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

 Height, bust, 58.0, cm. height, socle, 14.8, cm. width, whole, 48.5, cm

Inscription: below her left shoulder; inscribed; L.F. Roubiliac Scit ad vivum

 Bought; 1955; T. H. W. Lumley, 

Provenance: The former owner told Mrs K. Esdaile that the bust had been given by William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, to his sister Lady Caroline Waldegrave, daughter of the 3rd Earl Waldegrave. Her mother had been a Lady of the Bedchamber to the Princesses Amelia and Caroline, and the latter had been left £4,000 in the Princess's will.

Purchased with the S.G. Perceval Fund.

 

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

The Bust of John Lawes and the anonymous lead bust in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The V and A bust uses the socle with the slightly convex front palel typically employed by John Cheere in his plaster busts.

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

The Gounter Nichol Bust at Racton (left below) and the William Withers Bust at Crofton (right below.

Both use the dress on the Nicholas Hawksmore bust at All Souls Cambridge and the bust of William Withers onthe monument at Wooten St Lawrence.