Not currently on display at the V&A

left hand of Mrs. (? Mary) Thornycroft

Hand
1862-1890 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaster cast model probably of the left hand of Mrs (?Mary) Thornycroft is made by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm in the period after 1862.
Mary Thornycroft (1814-1895), neé Francis was the daughter of the sculptor John Francis (1814-1895). She and her husband, the sculptor Thomas Thornycroft, were contemporaries of Boehm. The purpose of the model is unknown.

Boehm (1834-1890) was an English sculptor and medallist born in Austrian, as the youngest son of Joseph Daniel Boehm (1794–1865), a court medallist and director of the Imperial Mint at Vienna. From 1848 to 1851 Joseph Edgar attended Leigh’s art academy (later Heatherley’s) in London and drew the Parthenon marbles in the British Museum. On his return to Vienna he enrolled at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Around 1858–9 he visited Italy, where he developed a lasting admiration for early Renaissance sculpture. From 1859 to 1862 he worked in Paris and was influenced by the work of Paul Gayrard (1807–1855). Boehm settled in London in 1862 where he befriended John Leech and John Everett Millais, both of whom he portrayed in statuettes in 1863. A statuette of William Makepeace Thackeray (1864) led to an edition of 70 plaster casts. Boehm frequently worked in terracotta, a material common in French sculpture but less familiar in English. Queen Victoria’s admiration of Boehm’s statuettes led to an association with the royal family that lasted from 1869 until his death. Most of Boehm’s works are portrait busts. Boehm was immensely prolific: some 360 different works are documented. He was a highly consistent sculptor, rarely deviating from his brand of realism. He was modest about his immense popularity and aware of his imaginative shortcomings (cit.: M. Stocker: 'Boehm, Joseph Edgar').


Object details

Category
Object type
Titleleft hand of Mrs. (? Mary) Thornycroft (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster cast
Brief description
Model, plaster cast, left hand of Mrs. (? Mary) Thornycroft, by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, after 1862
Physical description
Left hand of Mrs. Thornycroft.
Dimensions
  • Length: 24cm
  • Width: 13cm
  • Depth: 5.5cm
  • Weight: 1.08kg
Credit line
Given by the executors of Sir J.E. Boehm
Object history
Given by the Executors of the late Sir J.E. Boehm in 1892.
Subject depicted
Summary
This plaster cast model probably of the left hand of Mrs (?Mary) Thornycroft is made by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm in the period after 1862.
Mary Thornycroft (1814-1895), neé Francis was the daughter of the sculptor John Francis (1814-1895). She and her husband, the sculptor Thomas Thornycroft, were contemporaries of Boehm. The purpose of the model is unknown.

Boehm (1834-1890) was an English sculptor and medallist born in Austrian, as the youngest son of Joseph Daniel Boehm (1794–1865), a court medallist and director of the Imperial Mint at Vienna. From 1848 to 1851 Joseph Edgar attended Leigh’s art academy (later Heatherley’s) in London and drew the Parthenon marbles in the British Museum. On his return to Vienna he enrolled at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Around 1858–9 he visited Italy, where he developed a lasting admiration for early Renaissance sculpture. From 1859 to 1862 he worked in Paris and was influenced by the work of Paul Gayrard (1807–1855). Boehm settled in London in 1862 where he befriended John Leech and John Everett Millais, both of whom he portrayed in statuettes in 1863. A statuette of William Makepeace Thackeray (1864) led to an edition of 70 plaster casts. Boehm frequently worked in terracotta, a material common in French sculpture but less familiar in English. Queen Victoria’s admiration of Boehm’s statuettes led to an association with the royal family that lasted from 1869 until his death. Most of Boehm’s works are portrait busts. Boehm was immensely prolific: some 360 different works are documented. He was a highly consistent sculptor, rarely deviating from his brand of realism. He was modest about his immense popularity and aware of his imaginative shortcomings (cit.: M. Stocker: 'Boehm, Joseph Edgar').
Bibliographic references
  • Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470-2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002, p. 216, cat.no. 323
  • List of Reproductions in Electrotype and Plaster acquired by the South Kensington Museum in the Year 1892, London, 1893, p. 12
Collection
Accession number
REPRO.1892-88

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest