Bust of Milton in a Portrait of Samuel Richardson by Mason Chamberlin the Elder

The Bust of John  Milton

in a Portrait of Samuel Richardson (1689 - 1761).

by Mason Chamberlin the Elder (1727 - 1787).

The bust appears to be a version of the Scheemaker bust of Milton

https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-terracotta-bust-of-john-milton-attributed-6046651-details.aspx

John Milton

Peter Scheemakers.

Marble

About half life size.

Height 46cms approx. with socle.

Hagley Hall, Worcestershire.

The busts of Shakespeare, Spenser, Dryden and Milton by Peter Scheemakers in the broken pediments of the bookcases in the Library at Hagley Hall were given to Alexander Pope by Frederick, Prince of Wales; they were bequeathed by Pope, who died in 1743 to Lord Lyttelton. They were in the Library in the new house in 1747/48.

Some time after buying Carlton House in 1732, Prince Frederick commissioned two sets of library busts from Peter Scheemakers, one set for himself - which seems to have disappeared and the second set as a gift to Alexander Pope.

A bill for £107 4s was examined by William Kent as overseer and paid 22 November 1735, included the set of busts charged at £10 each (Duchy of Cornwall Household Accounts) it is unclear whether they were for the library at Carlton House or for Kents magnificent saloon in the Rotunda in the garden, built in 1735  -  (adorned with paintings and sculpture - Grub Street Journal 2 September 1735)

Prince Frederick, William Kent and the Garden Building at Carlton House has already touched on in my blog entry 12 August 2015, see -

http://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/frederick-prince-of-wales-and-busts-in.html

A voucher in the Royal Household accounts, dated 8th November 1735, details 'for four small marble Busto's delivered to Mr Pope at £10-10 each 42-0-0' The bill was examined by William Kent on 22 November 1735 and paid without deduction. A receipt in the sculptors hand was added one week later (Duchy of Cornwall, Household Accounts of Frederick Prince of Wales, Vouchers October 1736 - June 1737, vol. VI, part 1, pp 307-08

Ingrid Roscoe suggest that the gift to Pope was probably prompted by George Lyttleton, the secretary to Prince Frederick, an active member of the Whig opposition, who fostered their friendship in the hope that Pope might have a democratising influence on the Prince.

The busts prompted a letter to Dean Swift dated 17 May 1739 - the Pr. shews me a distinction beyond any Merit or Pretence on my part & I have received a Present from him of some marble heads of Poets for my libraryand some Urnes for my garden' - (Correspondence of Alexander Pope ed. Shrwin 1956).

Ingrid Roscoe says - the busts are ' weakly characterised frontal portraits' which I think is being rather unkind to them. I suspect that she didn't inspect them closely - compared with the portrait from the Royal collection attributed to John Cheere they exhibit a much higher degree of subtlety

Much of this information has been culled from Peter Scheemakers by Ingrid Roscoe, Walpole Society Journal, vol 61, 1999.

 I am very grateful to Viscount Cobham for allowing me the opportunity to visit Hagley and to take these photographs. I would also like to thank to Joyce Purnell of Hagley Hall who facilitated the visit for me, showed me around and made my visit so enjoyable.

Please forgive the quality of these photographs - I was very much restricted by the height of the bookcases, the availability of light and the lens on my camera. It is my intention to return to Hagley some time shortly, when the busts have been taken down and to take more photographs. In the short term these images will have to do.

see - 

http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.com/2015/11/busts-of-shakespeare-by-scheemakers-and.html

Samuel Richardson

Oil on copper 24.9 x 19.7 mm

1754?

National Portrait Gallery

Image courtesy Art UK.

Novelist and printer; his three novels Pamela, (pub 1741) Clarissa, and Sir Charles Grandison, enjoyed enormous popularity at home and abroad, and brought him a wide circle of friends and correspondents. 

For many years he printed the Journal of the House of Commons.

Painted for Richardson's friend, Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons. The portrait was described as a 'speaking likeness' by Thomas Edwards, another friend and shows Richardson in a characteristic pose, writing 'upon a little board ... held in his hand'. 

In the background is a bust of Milton whose works Richardson much admired.

Mason Chamberlin, the Elder (English, 1727–1787)

Samuel Richardson, ca. 1760

Oil on canvas

50 × 41 in. (127 × 104.14 cm)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. R. V. Krikorian M1977.17

Photo credit: John R. Glembin

 The sitter's resemblance to known portraits of Richardson and the wording on the spine of the book, identifying it as Edward Young's Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality, confirm the identification. Richardson was a friend of Young's and published his book.

Image and text from - Milwaukee Art Museum

http://collection.mam.org/details.php?id=9144

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