Bust of Lord Chesterfield by Joseph Wilton

 

 

The Marble Bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope

Lord Chesterfield

by Joseph Wilton (1722 - 1803)

1757

British Museum.

signed J Wilton ad vivum 1757

bust 67 cms.

 

 

Provenance: Probably commissioned by the sitter, 1757;

given to Sir Thomas Robinson Bt (?1700-77) by Chesterfield; bequeathed to the British Museum by Robinson, 1777.

Robinson's will dated 26 September 1777 reads:
'my fine Bust of the late Lord Chesterfield made by Wilton my Picture of his Lordship drawn by Ramsay and my Medal of that Nobleman the whole of which were given to me by his Lordship and which I give to the British Museum as a Testimony of my Regard for the Memory of an illustrious person with whom I have lived in intimacy for more than half a century.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All photographs from the British Museum Website

 

see - http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=31426&partId=1&searchText=Chesterfield&page=2

Lord Chesterfield by Stephen Slaughter, Dublin Castle

 

Philip Dormer Stanhope.

Lord Chesterfield (1694 - 1773).

1746.

The Portrait in Dublin Castle

by Stephen Slaughter (1697 - 1765).

 

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from July 1745 - he left Ireland on 23 April 1746.

He was replaced by his half brother William Stanhope Earl of Harrington. Chesterfield was hugely popular during his very short stay unlike Harrington whose departure from Dublin was greeted with much celebration by the locals.

 

 He was president of the (Royal) Dublin Society and was instrumental in acquiring a civil list payment for it in 1750.

He was instrumental in opening up Phoenix Park originally parkland designated for the use of the Viceroy and for erecting the statue of a phoenix on top of a column in the park.

 

 

Portrait of Lord Chesterfield whilst Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

in the State Apartments in Dublin Castle.

 

Photograph Courtesy Dublin Castle.

 

Once again I am very grateful to William Derham, Curator at Dublin Castle for providing this photograph.

 

This portrait was very recently cleaned and conserved when the details were discovered. 

 

_______________________________________

 

Stephen Slaughter (1697 - 1765).

 

Baptised at St Paul's, Covent Garden, 13 January 1697, attended Kneller's academy at Great Queen Street in 1712 (Vertue III, p.77 and VI, p.169).  Edward Slaughter recorded at the St Martin's Lane Academy in 1720 (Vertue VI, p.170) is probably his younger brother (see Burial Register of St Mary Abbots, Kensington, for 24 November 1773, and Slaughter's will of 1764/PCC Rushworth 198). According to Vertue ‘liv'd abroad, at Paris and Flanders near 17 years’, returning to England in 1732/3.

 

 

His name first appears upon an etching, done in 1733, from a drawing by Parmegiano, then in the collection of Dr. Hickman to whom the print is dedicated, Stephn. Slaughter f. 1733. As a painter he is first heard of in 1734, when he was in Ireland and painted a portrait of Nathaniel Kane, Lord Mayor of Dublin. He remained in Ireland a few years, occasionally visiting England, as certain dated portraits, such as those of "the Hon. John Spencer," "Lady Georgina Spencer," "Sir Robert Walpole" and others show.

He became Keeper and Surveyor of the King's Pictures in 1744. Executed murals of Spenser's Faerie Queene for the Chinese Temple at Stowe 1745. Shared his Kensington home with his brother and sisters (including his widowed sister the artist Mrs Judith Lewis) and died there 15 May 1765.

 

Info Tate Gallery and Library of Ireland.

see -  http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/stephen-slaughter-498

see also - http://www.libraryireland.com/irishartists/stephen-slaughter.php

 

For a useful and amusing account of the Viceroyalty of both Chesterfield and Harrington see

The Viceroys of Ireland..... Charles O'Mahony pub 1912.

 

 Chesterfield wrote 'The House of Lords is a hospital for incurables, but the Commons can hardly be described.  Session after session presents one unvaried waste of provincial imbecility.'

 

On the other hand in a spirit of even handedness he also wrote to a friend in London 'We have more clever men here in a nutshell, than can be produced in the whole circle of London.'

 

_______________________________________________

 

 

Engraving by Samuel Wheatley

Incorporating a portrait of Chesterfield after William Hoare

Plate mark 51.5 x 31.2 cms.

Image Courtesy National Gallery of Ireland.

 

 

Lord Chesterfield

1746

 

Mezzotint 

31.5 x22.3cms

Andrew Miller (fl 1737 - 63) Dublin -Working in Dublin after 1743.

after William Hoare.

National Gallery of Ireland.

 

 

Bust of Lord Chesterfield by John van Nost III in the RDS Dublin.

 

A Marble Bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope

Lord Chesterfield

by John van Nost III in the RDS.

1769.

The Royal Dublin Society.

 

(Dublin Society commenced 1731)

It became the Royal Dublin Society 2nd April 1750.

 

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

President of the (Royal) Dublin Society 1745 - 46.

The bust was commissioned from van Nost in 1769.

He was paid 35 guineas.

 

The features of this bust should be compared with those on the bust of Chesterfield by Joseph Wilton.

It is almost impossible not to reach the conclusion that the van Nost bust is a version of Wiltons undraped marble bust in the British Museum. Se my post to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Chesterfield by John van Nost III photographed by the author 4 Oct 2014.

I am very grateful to Gerard Whelan, Librarian for allowing me the opportunity to visit the RDS

and to various members of staff for making the visit so pleasurable.

 

For the useful History of the Royal Dublin Society, by Henry Berry pub. 1914 see

 

https://archive.org/stream/historyofroyaldu00berrrich#page/n7/mode/2up

 

I will be posting further pages of the busts of Madden and Prior by John van Nost III and other busts and sculpture at the RDS when I can find the time.

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

The Dublin Castle Bust of Lord Chesterfield Photographs - Second Series.

 

The Dublin Castle Bronze Bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope

4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694 - 1773).

Louis Francois Roubiliac.

Life Size.

 

Photographs - Second Series.

Taken at Dublin Castle 5 October 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographed by the author 5th October 2016.

At Dublin Castle.

Generally speaking the photographs I take are posted in the highest resolution I can get away with, right click and save for enlarging.

 

I am very grateful to William Derham of Collections and Research at Dublin Castle for facilitating my visit to the castle and to Joanne Bannon for guiding me to the objects.

 

The other reason for my visit was to photograph the small equestrian statue of George II the miniature version of the John van Nost III statue from St Stephens Green, which I will be posting shortly

see my previous post -

 

http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/equestrian-statue-of-george-ii-formerly.html

 

For a useful summary of the life and busts of Lord Chesterfield see -

 

http://www.sothebys.com/de/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.132.html/2010/an-exceptional-eye-a-private-british-collection-l10041

I thoroughly recommend William Derham's mammoth 400 page tome - Lost Ireland 1860 - 1960 pub. Hyde Park Editions

 

I am currently using this separate blog to file my photographs and unfinished notes on the subject of 18th century English Portrait Sculpture. It acts as a sort of aide memoire as well as filing system but as I have added pages it seems to have gathered its own momentum and taken on a life of its own.

 

Whilst in Dublin for a flying visit, arriving the evening of the 3rd - and departing the evening of the 6th October I was able to cram in visits to The Royal Dublin Society ( a taxi driver informed me that it is universally referred to as the RDS), The National Gallery (currently mostly closed), Trinity College Library, Dublin Castle, Christchurch and the Irish Architectural Archive in Merrion Square and to take photographs in all these places.

 

I was also very fortunate to meet the conservationist Michael Casey of Henrietta Street who showed me his extraordinary house.

 

 

The Bronze Bust of Lord Chesterfield acquired by the Louvre in 2010.

Sold by Sotheby's London 14 July 2010.

63 cms.

 

for a useful overview of the Roubiliac Chesterfield busts see British Museum website

 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?searchText=Chesterfield&ILINK%7C34484,%7CassetId=480356001&objectId=31423&partId=1

 

___________________________

 

 

  A possibly useful avenue of further research might be

the Diplomatic Papers of Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, 1720-1748.

in the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

see - http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf0f59n4vh/?query=Philip%2520Stanhope

 

A portrait of Lord Chesterfield that has recently discovered to have been painted by Stephen Slaughter in 1746 is also in Dublin Castle.

 

 

The Dublin Castle Bust of Lord Chesterfield Photographs - Second Series.

 

The Dublin Castle Bronze Bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope,

4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694 - 1773).

 

by Louis Francois Roubiliac.

Life Size.

Signed and Dated on the White Marble Socle - 1746.

 

Photographs - Second Series.

Taken by the author at Dublin Castle 5 October 2016.

 

It seems that monies were raised by public subscription to finance its purchase.

 

There is mention of two terracotta busts and three plaster busts of Chesterfield in the Roubiliac Sale.

 Catalogue of 1 (British Museum) one of the latter bought by Dr Matthew Matey for the British Museum.

 

________________________

 

 

From the New Monthly Magazine January 1829.

extract belkow from an essay 'Irish Lords Lieutenant' by Lady Morgan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographed by the author 5th October 2016.

At Dublin Castle.

Generally speaking the photographs I take are posted in the highest resolution I can get away with, right click and save for enlarging.

 

I am very grateful to William Derham of Collections and Research at Dublin Castle for facilitating my visit to the castle and to Joanne Bannon for guiding me to the objects.

 

The other reason for my visit was to photograph the small equestrian statue of George II the miniature version of the John van Nost III statue from St Stephens Green, which I will be posting shortly - see my previous post on -

 

http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/equestrian-statue-of-george-ii-formerly.html

 

 

 I am currently using this separate blog to file my photographs and unfinished notes on the subject of 18th century English Portrait Sculpture. It acts as a sort of aide memoire as well as filing system but as I have added pages it seems to have gathered its own momentum and taken on a life of its own.

 

 

For a useful summary of the life and busts of Lord Chesterfield see -

 

http://www.sothebys.com/de/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.132.html/2010/an-exceptional-eye-a-private-british-collection-l10041

I thoroughly recommend William Derham's mammoth 400 page tome - Lost Ireland 1860 - 1960 pub. Hyde Park Editions

 

 

 

Whilst in Dublin for a flying visit, arriving the evening of the 3rd - and departing the evening of the 6th October I was able to cram in visits to The Royal Dublin Society ( a taxi driver informed me that it is universally referred to as the RDS), The National Gallery (currently mostly closed), Trinity College Library, Dublin Castle, Christchurch and the Irish Architectural Archive in Merrion Square and to take photographs in all these places.

 

I was also very fortunate to meet the conservationist Michael Casey of Henrietta Street (my favourite Dublin Street) who showed me around his remarkable and extraordinary house.

 

see - https://vimeo.com/63742898

 

 

 

This Bronze Bust of Lord Chesterfield acquired by the Louvre in 2010.

Sold by Sotheby's London 14 July 2010.

63 cms.

 

for a useful overview of the Roubiliac Chesterfield busts see British Museum website

 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?searchText=Chesterfield&ILINK%7C34484,%7CassetId=480356001&objectId=31423&partId=1

 

___________________________

 

 

  A possibly useful avenue of further research might be

the Diplomatic Papers of Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, 1720-1748.

in the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

see - http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf0f59n4vh/?query=Philip%2520Stanhope

 

A portrait of Lord Chesterfield that has recently discovered to have been painted by Stephen Slaughter in 1746 is also in Dublin Castle. I will post a photograph in the near future.

 

 

The Dublin Castle Bronze Bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Lord Chesterfield. First Photographs.

 

 

The Bronze bust of Philip Dormer Stanhope,

Fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694 - 1773).

Dated 1746.

by Louis Francois Roubiliac.

 

At Dublin Castle.

 

Unless I am mistaken this is the first time this bust has been published and the photographs should be compared with the photographs of the other busts of Chesterfield by Roubiliac collected recently on this blog.

 

I am very grateful to William Derham of Collections and Research at Dublin Castle for taking the trouble to take these photographs for me and to the Irish Aesthete for putting us in contact.

 

I heartily recommend his blog to anyone interested in the History and Architecture of Ireland

 

see https://theirishaesthete.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I will be visiting Dublin in Early October when I hope to obtain better photographs

in the meantime these will have to do.

 

Equestrian Statue of Prince Frederick by John Cheere, Hartwell House.

 

 

Equestrian Statue of Prince Frederick

by John Cheere,

Hartwell House.

 

 

For a great deal of information on English, Irish and European Equestrian sculpture see my parallel blog -

- http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 I currently use this parallel blog as a sort of aide memoire and filing system for collating information before the final posting. It is seems to have developed an independent life of its own. If anyone is interested I frequently return to update the postings.

 

eg. There is a huge amount of information on the busts of Isaac Newton my researches are not yet completed but I have posted many photographs.

Henry Cheere supplied a statue of  William III (paid 23 April 1735).

Buckinghamshire /Lee archives - D-LE/A/2/1/1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also

 

http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.co.uk/