Henry VIII thumbnail 1
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Henry VIII

Bust
ca. 1756 - ca. 1767 (made)
Artist/Maker
Town, Robert (attributed to)
Place of origin
England (made)

This bust, attributed to Robert Town (active 1756-1767), is made of the local seams of cannel, a fossilised material resembling jet, found in the coal seams near Wigan, Lancashire. A portrait medallion of Henry VIII in cannel coal of about 1755, also attributed to Town, is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Object details

Categories
Royalty
Sculpture
Portraits
Object type
Bust
TitleHenry VIII (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved cannel coal with paste emerald fastening
Cannel Coal
Carving
Brief description
Bust, of Henry VIII, attributed to Robert Town, English, ca. 1756-1767; inscribed 1528
Physical description
Portrait of Henry VIII carved in cannel coal with paste emerald fastening to the ruff.
Dimensions
  • Height: 42.5cm
  • Width: 11.50in
Marks and inscriptions
'Ao DNI 1528' is inscribed on the back, however the bust is a historicising piece produced about 1756-67. (Latin; On back.; Town, Robert; about 1756-67)
Translation
'Anno Domini 1528'
Object history
Purchased from Mr P. Albert, London in 1870 for £20.
Subject depicted
Henry VIII (King of England and Ireland)
Summary
This bust, attributed to Robert Town (active 1756-1767), is made of the local seams of cannel, a fossilised material resembling jet, found in the coal seams near Wigan, Lancashire. A portrait medallion of Henry VIII in cannel coal of about 1755, also attributed to Town, is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Bibliographic references
  • Diane Bilbey with Marjorie Trusted. British sculpture 1470 to 2000: a concise catalogue of the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 2002, p. 159, cat. no. 215
  • List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington, Acquired During the Year 1870, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., p. 6
  • Hugh, Tait. Cannel Carvings and Robert Town of Wigan. The Connoisseur. 158, 1965, pp. 92-99
  • Leeuwenberg, Japp. Beeldhouwkunst in het Rijksmuseum. The Hague, 1973, p. 490, no. 855
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
35-1870

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Record createdDecember 30, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O88323/henry-viii-bust-town-robert/
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