Seneca
Bust
1763 (made)
1763 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This marble bust representing Seneca was made by Francis Harwood in 1763 after the antique.
On the reproduction of the image of Seneca, Haskell and Penny note that busts of 'ancient worthies' such as Seneca and Homer, which were frequently copied in marble and cast in plaster, were valued more because they represented great men rather than for the reason they reproduced works of art. It is often hard to discover the originals of these replicas because the antique portraits of such figures existed in many versions.
Francis Harwood (born about 1727; died 1783) spent 30 years working first in Rome and then in Florence. He specialised in carving busts and figures after the antique, including the 'Venus de' Medici' and the 'Apollo Belvedere'. The sculptor Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) wrote in a letter from Rome in 1769 in his idiosyncratic style: 'there is F.H. at Florence who is knocking the marbil about like feway, & belive he as got more work to do than any One Sculptor in England'.
On the reproduction of the image of Seneca, Haskell and Penny note that busts of 'ancient worthies' such as Seneca and Homer, which were frequently copied in marble and cast in plaster, were valued more because they represented great men rather than for the reason they reproduced works of art. It is often hard to discover the originals of these replicas because the antique portraits of such figures existed in many versions.
Francis Harwood (born about 1727; died 1783) spent 30 years working first in Rome and then in Florence. He specialised in carving busts and figures after the antique, including the 'Venus de' Medici' and the 'Apollo Belvedere'. The sculptor Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) wrote in a letter from Rome in 1769 in his idiosyncratic style: 'there is F.H. at Florence who is knocking the marbil about like feway, & belive he as got more work to do than any One Sculptor in England'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Seneca (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Marble |
| Brief description | Bust, marble, Seneca, by Francis Harwood, after the antique, English, signed and dated 1763 |
| Physical description | Marble bust representing Seneca. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Seneca," "F. HARWOOD FECIT 1763' |
| Credit line | Given by Bert Crowther |
| Object history | Said to have come from Gordon Castle, Banffshire, Scotland. Given by Bert Crowther, Syon Lodge, Bush Corner, Isleworth, Middlesex in 1948, accompanying a set of pedestals purchased on the Museum's behalf by the Ministry of Works from Crowthers. The bust is on long-term loan at Chiswick House. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This marble bust representing Seneca was made by Francis Harwood in 1763 after the antique. On the reproduction of the image of Seneca, Haskell and Penny note that busts of 'ancient worthies' such as Seneca and Homer, which were frequently copied in marble and cast in plaster, were valued more because they represented great men rather than for the reason they reproduced works of art. It is often hard to discover the originals of these replicas because the antique portraits of such figures existed in many versions. Francis Harwood (born about 1727; died 1783) spent 30 years working first in Rome and then in Florence. He specialised in carving busts and figures after the antique, including the 'Venus de' Medici' and the 'Apollo Belvedere'. The sculptor Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) wrote in a letter from Rome in 1769 in his idiosyncratic style: 'there is F.H. at Florence who is knocking the marbil about like feway, & belive he as got more work to do than any One Sculptor in England'. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.26-1948 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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