William Pitt the younger (1759-1806)
Bust
ca. 1806-1823 (carved)
ca. 1806-1823 (carved)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
On its acquisition R.P. Bedford, Keeper of the Department of Architecture and Sculpture at the Museum, wrote of this piece that it was 'evidently one of the 74 marble busts of Pitt which were made by Nollekens masons after the death mask. There was a constant demand for busts of Pitt & Fox, they were known as "Nollekens' stock pieces". As is to be expected, the work is dull but it is quite genuine.'
R. Gunnis, in the Dictionary of British Sculpture 1660-1851 (revised edition, 1968), records that the busts of Pitt, taken from a mask produced immediately after his death, were sold by Nollekens for £120 each, and that Nollekens 'also made replicas of the mask itself, but in this case the original is in the possession of Earl Stanhope'. Nollekens also executed a full-size marble statue of Pitt, erected at Senate House, Cambridge, in 1812. Busts by Nollekens of Pitt and Fox were often displayed as pairs.
R. Gunnis, in the Dictionary of British Sculpture 1660-1851 (revised edition, 1968), records that the busts of Pitt, taken from a mask produced immediately after his death, were sold by Nollekens for £120 each, and that Nollekens 'also made replicas of the mask itself, but in this case the original is in the possession of Earl Stanhope'. Nollekens also executed a full-size marble statue of Pitt, erected at Senate House, Cambridge, in 1812. Busts by Nollekens of Pitt and Fox were often displayed as pairs.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | William Pitt the younger (1759-1806) (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Marble |
| Brief description | Bust, marble, William Pitt the Younger, by Joseph Nollekens, England, ca. 1806-23 |
| Physical description | The head is turned a little to the left: classical drapery at the neck. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | Given by Dr. W.L. Hildburgh, F.S.A. in 1925. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | On its acquisition R.P. Bedford, Keeper of the Department of Architecture and Sculpture at the Museum, wrote of this piece that it was 'evidently one of the 74 marble busts of Pitt which were made by Nollekens masons after the death mask. There was a constant demand for busts of Pitt & Fox, they were known as "Nollekens' stock pieces". As is to be expected, the work is dull but it is quite genuine.' R. Gunnis, in the Dictionary of British Sculpture 1660-1851 (revised edition, 1968), records that the busts of Pitt, taken from a mask produced immediately after his death, were sold by Nollekens for £120 each, and that Nollekens 'also made replicas of the mask itself, but in this case the original is in the possession of Earl Stanhope'. Nollekens also executed a full-size marble statue of Pitt, erected at Senate House, Cambridge, in 1812. Busts by Nollekens of Pitt and Fox were often displayed as pairs. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bilbey, Diane and Trusted Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 2002. p. 99. cat. no. 134 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.11-1925 |
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| Record created | December 11, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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