Queen Victoria thumbnail 1
Queen Victoria thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 123

Queen Victoria

Bust
1862 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Parian was a type of porcelain developed in the 1840s for use in statuary. It had similar surface qualities to marble, and was named after the Greek island of Paros, where marble was quarried. Parian was less prone to discoloration than unglazed bone china, which had previously been used to produce ceramic figures in imitation of marble. Parian figures and busts became very popular, making sculpture affordable for the middle classes. Numerous models were produced, depicting classical subjects or, as here, eminent individuals.

Materials & Making
Credit for the invention of Parian was hotly contested. Both Minton, who produced these busts, and Copeland laid claim to the discovery of the formula. Because of this unresolved dispute, the jury of the Great Exhibition of 1851 failed to award a Council Medal for its invention. Nevertheless, the material enjoyed enormous success when it was shown there.

Historical Associations
The original marble sculptures from which this Parian bust and its pair, a bust of Prince Albert (museum no. 7888-1862), were copied were made by the Italian sculptor Carlo Marochetti (1805-1867) and were shown at the Royal Academy in 1851. These Parian versions were shown by Minton at the London International Exhibition of 1862, at which an entire section was devoted to 'Parian and Ivory'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleQueen Victoria (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Parian porcelain
Brief description
Bust of Queen Victoria, Minton & Co. after Carlo Marochetti, Stoke-on-Trent, 1862
Dimensions
  • Height: 32cm
  • Width: 21.1cm
  • Depth: 14.5cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 18/01/1999 by sf
Gallery label
British Galleries: The original marble busts by Carlo Marochetti were displayed at the Royal Academy in 1851. Parian porcelain replicated marble but could be industrially produced.(27/03/2003)
Production
Original sculpture 1851; this version made in 1862
Subject depicted
Summary
Object Type
Parian was a type of porcelain developed in the 1840s for use in statuary. It had similar surface qualities to marble, and was named after the Greek island of Paros, where marble was quarried. Parian was less prone to discoloration than unglazed bone china, which had previously been used to produce ceramic figures in imitation of marble. Parian figures and busts became very popular, making sculpture affordable for the middle classes. Numerous models were produced, depicting classical subjects or, as here, eminent individuals.

Materials & Making
Credit for the invention of Parian was hotly contested. Both Minton, who produced these busts, and Copeland laid claim to the discovery of the formula. Because of this unresolved dispute, the jury of the Great Exhibition of 1851 failed to award a Council Medal for its invention. Nevertheless, the material enjoyed enormous success when it was shown there.

Historical Associations
The original marble sculptures from which this Parian bust and its pair, a bust of Prince Albert (museum no. 7888-1862), were copied were made by the Italian sculptor Carlo Marochetti (1805-1867) and were shown at the Royal Academy in 1851. These Parian versions were shown by Minton at the London International Exhibition of 1862, at which an entire section was devoted to 'Parian and Ivory'.
Associated object
7888-1862 (Object)
Bibliographic reference
Chen, xie jun. World Exposition Museum. Shanghai: Shanghai wen yi chu ban she, 2010 ISBN 9787532140503/G.107. 95,97,99,105,pp. ill.
Collection
Accession number
7889-1862

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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