Self-portrait of John Flaxman
Relief
1778 (made)
1778 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This roundel is a self-portrait of Flaxman junior (born in York, 1755, died in London, 1826), modelled while he was still a student at the Royal Academy. This early work, which was shown at the Royal academy in 1779, is both firm and naturalistic, though the eyeballs are not incised.
People
John Flaxman (1755-1826) was the only sculptor to whom Joshua Reynolds dedicated one of his Lectures, and himself became Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy in 1810. His portrait busts and monuments were greatly admired during his lifetime, as were his subject pieces. He was the most famous English Neo-classical sculptor of the late 18th century and the early 19th. He focused on monumental sculpture and church monuments and portrait busts. A large collection of his plaster models is held in the Strang Print Room, University College, London. He also made outline illustrations of Homer, Aeschylus and Dante. Many of those in his sketchbooks (now in the V&A) were drawn from the antique while he was in Italy. Furthermore he produced models for pottery and silver supplying the pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood among others. He thus can be considered as an important pioneer in the development of Industrial Design.
Ownership & Use
The roundel was probably made primarily for the artist's own amusement and study. Later it was acquired by Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador to Naples, who was renowned for his erudition and his interest in ancient and modern art. The roundel was first recorded in 1798, in Hamilton's library at the Palazzo Sessa, Naples. Wedgwood may have contemplated reproducing it in ceramic, but in the event did not do so. Materials & Making
Terracotta (baked clay) was commonly used for sculpture. The clay could be modelled freely before firing, and when fired was a durable material.
This roundel is a self-portrait of Flaxman junior (born in York, 1755, died in London, 1826), modelled while he was still a student at the Royal Academy. This early work, which was shown at the Royal academy in 1779, is both firm and naturalistic, though the eyeballs are not incised.
People
John Flaxman (1755-1826) was the only sculptor to whom Joshua Reynolds dedicated one of his Lectures, and himself became Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy in 1810. His portrait busts and monuments were greatly admired during his lifetime, as were his subject pieces. He was the most famous English Neo-classical sculptor of the late 18th century and the early 19th. He focused on monumental sculpture and church monuments and portrait busts. A large collection of his plaster models is held in the Strang Print Room, University College, London. He also made outline illustrations of Homer, Aeschylus and Dante. Many of those in his sketchbooks (now in the V&A) were drawn from the antique while he was in Italy. Furthermore he produced models for pottery and silver supplying the pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood among others. He thus can be considered as an important pioneer in the development of Industrial Design.
Ownership & Use
The roundel was probably made primarily for the artist's own amusement and study. Later it was acquired by Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador to Naples, who was renowned for his erudition and his interest in ancient and modern art. The roundel was first recorded in 1798, in Hamilton's library at the Palazzo Sessa, Naples. Wedgwood may have contemplated reproducing it in ceramic, but in the event did not do so. Materials & Making
Terracotta (baked clay) was commonly used for sculpture. The clay could be modelled freely before firing, and when fired was a durable material.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Title | Self-portrait of John Flaxman (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Terracotta in high-relief and gold painted wood |
| Brief description | Medallion, terracotta relief, John Flaxman, self-portrait, by John Flaxman, England, 1778 |
| Physical description | Self Portrait of John Flaxmann: Head shown in full-face, with hair falling to the shoulders. The sitter wears contemporary dress. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'HANC SVI IPSIVS EFFIGIEM FECIT IOANNES FLAXMAN IVNIOR ARTIFEX STAVARIVM ET COELATOR ALVMNVS EX ACADEMIA REGALE. ANNO AETATIS XXIV A.D.MDCCLXXVIII'
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The success of Wedgwood's Jasper was dependent on his employment of leading contemporary artists to create reliefs for reproduction in pottery. The Neo-classical sculptor John Flaxman was one of the best known of them. He modelled a great many portrait reliefs and figure subjects for Wedgwood from 1775 onwards.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | In the possession of Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803) in Naples by 14 July 1798, located in his library of the Palazzo Sessa, Naples. Purchased by the Museum at Messrs Christie, Manson, 8 King Street, London, lot 988, from the collection of John Watkins Brett, deceased, of Hanover Square, London, for £161 14s on the sixth day of the sale, 11 April 1864. The relief is illustrated in the catalogue in a beaded gilt wooden frame. The frame, which dates from some time after the relief, perhaps as late as the early 1860s, was removed at an unrecorded date after acquisition in 1864, and is currently in store. The relief is noted in departmental records as being purchased by Chaffens, probably on behalf of the Museum. Included in the same sale, lot 1115 on the seventh day of sale, 12 April 1864, was the wax portrait of Flaxman's sister, executed in 1772, also purchased for the Museum (295-1864). |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This roundel is a self-portrait of Flaxman junior (born in York, 1755, died in London, 1826), modelled while he was still a student at the Royal Academy. This early work, which was shown at the Royal academy in 1779, is both firm and naturalistic, though the eyeballs are not incised. People John Flaxman (1755-1826) was the only sculptor to whom Joshua Reynolds dedicated one of his Lectures, and himself became Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy in 1810. His portrait busts and monuments were greatly admired during his lifetime, as were his subject pieces. He was the most famous English Neo-classical sculptor of the late 18th century and the early 19th. He focused on monumental sculpture and church monuments and portrait busts. A large collection of his plaster models is held in the Strang Print Room, University College, London. He also made outline illustrations of Homer, Aeschylus and Dante. Many of those in his sketchbooks (now in the V&A) were drawn from the antique while he was in Italy. Furthermore he produced models for pottery and silver supplying the pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood among others. He thus can be considered as an important pioneer in the development of Industrial Design. Ownership & Use The roundel was probably made primarily for the artist's own amusement and study. Later it was acquired by Sir William Hamilton, the British ambassador to Naples, who was renowned for his erudition and his interest in ancient and modern art. The roundel was first recorded in 1798, in Hamilton's library at the Palazzo Sessa, Naples. Wedgwood may have contemplated reproducing it in ceramic, but in the event did not do so. Materials & Making Terracotta (baked clay) was commonly used for sculpture. The clay could be modelled freely before firing, and when fired was a durable material. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 294:1, 2-1864 |
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| Record created | November 20, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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