English 18th Century Portrait Sculpture

Thursday, 7 July 2016

The Busts of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough (1650 - 1722).

by Michael Rysbrack

1. The Metropolitan Museum Bust of the Duke of Marlborough.

Bust 63 cms, Socle 30 cms.

These images from the website of the estimable Leeds and London dealers Tomasso Brothers.

http://www.tomassobrothers.co.uk/Michael-Rysbrack-1694-1770-Bust-John-Churchill-1st-Duke-Marlborough-1650-1722-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=6&tabindex=5&objectid=695813&categoryid=6936

Provenance.

Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset (1662-1748), Northumberland House, London
Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset (1684- 1750), Northumberland House, London. (By descent)
Elizabeth Percy (née Seymour), 1st Duchess of Northumberland (1716-1776), Northumberland House, London. (By descent)
George Percy, 5th Duke of Northumberland (1778-1867), Syon House, Middlesex

Thence by descent.

Literature -

Inventory of Charles Duke of Somerset's Goods at Northumberland House, 23 March 1748/49 (Long Room) 'A marble Bust of his Grace the late Duke of Marlborough' (The Archives of the Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick Castle Sy.H.IV.1.c);

Inventory of Northumberland House, 1786 (Prayer Room) 'A Marble Bust of John Duke of Marlborough on a pedestal, valued at 5.5.0.' (Alnwick Sy.H.VI.2.d).

Sold Sotheby's London, Lot 12, 9th July 2014.

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/treasures-princely-taste-l14303/lot.12.html

Now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.

Photograph above courtesy Sotheby's

The Metropolitan Museum Bust of the Duke of Marlborough whilst on exhibition at Sotheby's London.

Taken in very poor light 17th November 2014 with a Samsung smart phone.

This classicising all antica model is believed to have originally been composed before 1730, because a version was presented by Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, to Oxford University in that year; it remained in the Bodleian Library until 1926, when it was transferred to the Ashmolean Museum, where it can still be viewed today (inv. no. WA 1926.32). See the next bust below.

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2. Bust of the Duke of Marlborough presented by Sarah the Duchess of Marlborough to Oxford University in 1730.
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

The Vice Chancellor's Accounts for 1730 show a payment of 12/- to Dr Clarke for the carriage of this bust.. Info - Catalogue of the Portraits.... Poole