Venus standing on a shell
Figure
ca. 1800 (made)
ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This small terracotta study, which is probably not related to any known finished work, exemplifies Nollekens's facility in handling clay. It may have been exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1800 and purchased, after Nollekens's death, by another sculptor, Peter Rouw, when it appeared in the sale of Nollekens's studio effects held on 4 July, 1823.
Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) was a prolific sculptor of portrait busts and operated a thriving workshop in London. He spent eight years in Rome from 1762 to 1770, where he worked with Bartolomeo Cavaceppi restoring and copying antique marbles. One of these copies, his group of Castor and Pollux, is in the Museum's collection (Museum no. A.59-1940). He probably perfected his modelling of clay while he was in Rome and started to experiment in making small figures or groups. These occasionally became models for large-scale finished marbles, but many, like this one, still in his studio at his death, were simply studies in their own right, which he called pensieri (thoughts).
Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) was a prolific sculptor of portrait busts and operated a thriving workshop in London. He spent eight years in Rome from 1762 to 1770, where he worked with Bartolomeo Cavaceppi restoring and copying antique marbles. One of these copies, his group of Castor and Pollux, is in the Museum's collection (Museum no. A.59-1940). He probably perfected his modelling of clay while he was in Rome and started to experiment in making small figures or groups. These occasionally became models for large-scale finished marbles, but many, like this one, still in his studio at his death, were simply studies in their own right, which he called pensieri (thoughts).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Venus standing on a shell (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Terracotta |
| Brief description | Figure, sketch model, terracotta, Venus standing on a shell, by Joseph Nollekens, England, probably ca. 1800 |
| Physical description | Terracotta sketch model, Venus standing on a shell. A standing woman gathers drapery about her with her left hand. Her right arm is raised, forearm and hand missing. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | 4 and 5. Joseph Nollekens 1737–1823
Venus Standing on a Shell and The Judgement of Paris
About 1800, about 1803
Nollekens was a virtuoso modeller of clay. After his death, his small terracotta study of Venus was bought by another sculptor, Peter Rouw. The other figure group shows the Judgement of Paris, a mythological episode in whereich the Trojan hero Paris had to decide which of the three goddesses was the most beautiful. Nollekens also made a separate life-size marble figure of each of the goddesses.
London
Terracotta
Museum no. A.9-1944. Given by Miss Zoë Gordon Smith
Museum no. A.21-1955. Given by Reginald H. Pott |
| Credit line | Given by Miss Zoë Gordon Smith |
| Object history | Sold on the second day of Christie's sale of Nollekens's studio effects, held on 4 July 1823, lot 40, and purchased by the sculptor Peter Rouw. Probably given by Mr Rouw to Mrs C.H. Smith. Thence by descent to Miss Zoë Gordon Smith. Given by Miss Zoë Gordon-Smith together with A.5-1944 to A.8-1944 and A.10-1944. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This small terracotta study, which is probably not related to any known finished work, exemplifies Nollekens's facility in handling clay. It may have been exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1800 and purchased, after Nollekens's death, by another sculptor, Peter Rouw, when it appeared in the sale of Nollekens's studio effects held on 4 July, 1823. Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) was a prolific sculptor of portrait busts and operated a thriving workshop in London. He spent eight years in Rome from 1762 to 1770, where he worked with Bartolomeo Cavaceppi restoring and copying antique marbles. One of these copies, his group of Castor and Pollux, is in the Museum's collection (Museum no. A.59-1940). He probably perfected his modelling of clay while he was in Rome and started to experiment in making small figures or groups. These occasionally became models for large-scale finished marbles, but many, like this one, still in his studio at his death, were simply studies in their own right, which he called pensieri (thoughts). |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.9-1944 |
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| Record created | August 14, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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