Unknown Lady
Relief
19th century (made)
19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, low relief portraits in wax became popular in Britain and they were often exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of Artists and elsewhere. Waxes were used in a similar way to prints and medals, in order to disseminate the image of the sitter, or, like miniature paintings or silhouettes as portable mementoes.
The popularity of wax portraits was in part driven by their links with other types of portrait manufacture such as ceramic medallions.
The process of making a portrait in wax would begin with a model in plasticine or soft wax which would be worked using ivory or wooden tools in much the same way as a model in clay. A plaster mould would then be made and molten wax poured into it. The relief would then be hand-finished by the artist.
The popularity of wax portraits was in part driven by their links with other types of portrait manufacture such as ceramic medallions.
The process of making a portrait in wax would begin with a model in plasticine or soft wax which would be worked using ivory or wooden tools in much the same way as a model in clay. A plaster mould would then be made and molten wax poured into it. The relief would then be hand-finished by the artist.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Unknown Lady |
| Materials and techniques | Wax |
| Brief description | Relief, wax, English, by Jacob Hagbolt (1775-1849), 19th century |
| Physical description | Wax relief. Woman facing to the left. |
| Credit line | Rupert Gunnis Bequest |
| Object history | Rupert Gunnis Bequest. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, low relief portraits in wax became popular in Britain and they were often exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of Artists and elsewhere. Waxes were used in a similar way to prints and medals, in order to disseminate the image of the sitter, or, like miniature paintings or silhouettes as portable mementoes. The popularity of wax portraits was in part driven by their links with other types of portrait manufacture such as ceramic medallions. The process of making a portrait in wax would begin with a model in plasticine or soft wax which would be worked using ivory or wooden tools in much the same way as a model in clay. A plaster mould would then be made and molten wax poured into it. The relief would then be hand-finished by the artist. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.95-1965 |
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| Record created | March 17, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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