Castor and Pollux
Statue
1767 (dated)
1767 (dated)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This marble group is a close copy of a heavily restored antique group originally excavated in Rome (it was recorded in the Ludovisi Collection in 1623), and later in the collection of Queen Christina of Sweden in Rome. The antique group was sold to Philip V of Spain in 1724, and is now in the Prado, Madrid. Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) probably made his marble version from the plaster copy kept at the French Academy in Rome. Nollekens's group was made for Thomas Anson (1695-1773) of Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire. Antique statues and copies were highly prized in 18th-century Britain, and numerous country houses had their own sculpture galleries.
Subject
The identification of the group as 'Castor and Pollux' has been disputed, but it is the name by which it is commonly known. Castor and Pollux, known as the 'Dioscuri', sons of Zeus, were twin brothers, hatched from eggs laid by Leda, after Zeus in the form of a swan that had seduced her. They were renowned as warriors, and are the heavenly twins of the zodiac Gemini.
People
Joseph Nollekens was apprenticed to the sculptor Peter Scheemakers in London in 1750. Following his training, in 1760 he went to Rome, where he stayed until 1770. While there he established a reputation for portrait busts and figure groups, and made important contacts among visting aristocrats on the Grand Tour. On returning to London, his work as a sculptor was widely sought, and he produced a prolific number of marble busts, monuments and statues.
This marble group is a close copy of a heavily restored antique group originally excavated in Rome (it was recorded in the Ludovisi Collection in 1623), and later in the collection of Queen Christina of Sweden in Rome. The antique group was sold to Philip V of Spain in 1724, and is now in the Prado, Madrid. Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) probably made his marble version from the plaster copy kept at the French Academy in Rome. Nollekens's group was made for Thomas Anson (1695-1773) of Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire. Antique statues and copies were highly prized in 18th-century Britain, and numerous country houses had their own sculpture galleries.
Subject
The identification of the group as 'Castor and Pollux' has been disputed, but it is the name by which it is commonly known. Castor and Pollux, known as the 'Dioscuri', sons of Zeus, were twin brothers, hatched from eggs laid by Leda, after Zeus in the form of a swan that had seduced her. They were renowned as warriors, and are the heavenly twins of the zodiac Gemini.
People
Joseph Nollekens was apprenticed to the sculptor Peter Scheemakers in London in 1750. Following his training, in 1760 he went to Rome, where he stayed until 1770. While there he established a reputation for portrait busts and figure groups, and made important contacts among visting aristocrats on the Grand Tour. On returning to London, his work as a sculptor was widely sought, and he produced a prolific number of marble busts, monuments and statues.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Castor and Pollux (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Marble |
| Brief description | Group, marble, copy of the antique sculpture of Castor and Pollux, by Joseph Nollekens R.A., English, made in Rome, 1767 |
| Physical description | Group in white marble. Two nude standing figures of young men. The figure on the right holds in his right hand a torch reversed so that the flame touches a small altar in the fore-groun; in his left he holds another torch backwards over his shoulder. The second youth leans with his left arm round the shoulders of the torch bearer. In his right hand he holds a flat disc. Both figures wear laurel wreaths in their hair. On an altar to the right is a small draped female figure. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
By 1760 the demand of collectors for antique marble sculptures was greater than the supply. British and Italian sculptors in Rome and Florence did a thriving trade in copies. In the 18th century this one was thought to represent the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, sons of the Roman god, Jupiter. The original sculpture had already left Rome for Spain in 1724 and Nollekens based his copy on a plaster cast.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs H. Borradaile |
| Object history | Commissioned by Lord Anson of Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire. Carved in Rome by Joseph Nollekens (born in London, 1737, died there in 1823). Included in the Shugborough Hall sale held by Mr George Robins on 1 August 1842 and the following thirteen days, the group was featured in the eighth day's sale, held on 9th August 1842, described as part of the large collection of antique and modern statuary at Shugborough Hall. Lot 90 located to "The area of the Bust Gallery', it was described as 'A truly magnificent specimen of modern sculpture, the life size group of Castor and Pollux, in pure statuary marble, copied from the antique by Nollekens, it is 5 feet 4 [inches] high, and may be ranked as on the finest efforts of this renowned English sculptor, also a stone pedestal, 2 feet 4 [inches] high. The group was sold for £320 3s 0d. Purchased by Mr H. Soden, the father of the donor Mrs H.B. Borradaile, around 1935. Bequeathed to the Museum by Mrs Borradaile in 1940, the group was given by Brigadier Gen. H. Borradaile, D.S.O. in accordance with the wishes of his later wife. |
| Production | Signed and dated 1767 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | Object Type This marble group is a close copy of a heavily restored antique group originally excavated in Rome (it was recorded in the Ludovisi Collection in 1623), and later in the collection of Queen Christina of Sweden in Rome. The antique group was sold to Philip V of Spain in 1724, and is now in the Prado, Madrid. Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) probably made his marble version from the plaster copy kept at the French Academy in Rome. Nollekens's group was made for Thomas Anson (1695-1773) of Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire. Antique statues and copies were highly prized in 18th-century Britain, and numerous country houses had their own sculpture galleries. Subject The identification of the group as 'Castor and Pollux' has been disputed, but it is the name by which it is commonly known. Castor and Pollux, known as the 'Dioscuri', sons of Zeus, were twin brothers, hatched from eggs laid by Leda, after Zeus in the form of a swan that had seduced her. They were renowned as warriors, and are the heavenly twins of the zodiac Gemini. People Joseph Nollekens was apprenticed to the sculptor Peter Scheemakers in London in 1750. Following his training, in 1760 he went to Rome, where he stayed until 1770. While there he established a reputation for portrait busts and figure groups, and made important contacts among visting aristocrats on the Grand Tour. On returning to London, his work as a sculptor was widely sought, and he produced a prolific number of marble busts, monuments and statues. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.59-1940 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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