Not on display

B Bertrand

Bust
ca. 1882 (Made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This bust by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm represents B. Bertrand. Boehm exhibited a terracotta bust of Bertrand at the Royal Academy in 1882, described as 'Monsieur B. Bertrand, fencing-master of the late Prince Imperial Louis Napoleon.' This may be a plaster model taken from the terracotta in preparation for a marble version.

Boehm (1834-1890) was an English sculptor and medallist born in Austrian, as the youngest son of Joseph Daniel Boehm (1794–1865), a court medallist and director of the Imperial Mint at Vienna. From 1848 to 1851 Joseph Edgar attended Leigh’s art academy (later Heatherley’s) in London and drew the Parthenon marbles in the British Museum. On his return to Vienna he enrolled at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Around 1858–9 he visited Italy, where he developed a lasting admiration for early Renaissance sculpture. From 1859 to 1862 he worked in Paris and was influenced by the work of Paul Gayrard (1807–1855). Boehm settled in London in 1862 where he befriended John Leech and John Everett Millais, both of whom he portrayed in statuettes in 1863. A statuette of William Makepeace Thackeray (1864) led to an edition of 70 plaster casts. Boehm frequently worked in terracotta, a material common in French sculpture but less familiar in English. Queen Victoria’s admiration of Boehm’s statuettes led to an association with the royal family that lasted from 1869 until his death. Most of Boehm’s works are portrait busts. Boehm was immensely prolific: some 360 different works are documented. He was a highly consistent sculptor, rarely deviating from his brand of realism. He was modest about his immense popularity and aware of his imaginative shortcomings (cit.: M. Stocker: 'Boehm, Joseph Edgar').

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleB Bertrand (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster
Brief description
Bust, plaster model, of B. Bertrand, by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, England, ca. 1882
Physical description
Plaster model, bust of B. Bertrand. By Sir J.E. Boehm, Bart., R.A. On black wood pedestal. Signed and inscribed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 50cm (excluding base)
  • Width: 41cm
  • Depth: 25cm
  • Weight: 47.5kg
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'BOEHM . fecit' (on left shoulder )
  • 'B. BERTRAND' (on square wood base )
Credit line
Boehm Bequest
Object history
Given by the executors of the late Sir J.E. Boehm, Bart., R.A. in 1892.
Historical context
Boehm exhibited a terracotta bust of B. Bertrand at the Royal Academy in 1882.
Subject depicted
Summary
This bust by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm represents B. Bertrand. Boehm exhibited a terracotta bust of Bertrand at the Royal Academy in 1882, described as 'Monsieur B. Bertrand, fencing-master of the late Prince Imperial Louis Napoleon.' This may be a plaster model taken from the terracotta in preparation for a marble version.

Boehm (1834-1890) was an English sculptor and medallist born in Austrian, as the youngest son of Joseph Daniel Boehm (1794–1865), a court medallist and director of the Imperial Mint at Vienna. From 1848 to 1851 Joseph Edgar attended Leigh’s art academy (later Heatherley’s) in London and drew the Parthenon marbles in the British Museum. On his return to Vienna he enrolled at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Around 1858–9 he visited Italy, where he developed a lasting admiration for early Renaissance sculpture. From 1859 to 1862 he worked in Paris and was influenced by the work of Paul Gayrard (1807–1855). Boehm settled in London in 1862 where he befriended John Leech and John Everett Millais, both of whom he portrayed in statuettes in 1863. A statuette of William Makepeace Thackeray (1864) led to an edition of 70 plaster casts. Boehm frequently worked in terracotta, a material common in French sculpture but less familiar in English. Queen Victoria’s admiration of Boehm’s statuettes led to an association with the royal family that lasted from 1869 until his death. Most of Boehm’s works are portrait busts. Boehm was immensely prolific: some 360 different works are documented. He was a highly consistent sculptor, rarely deviating from his brand of realism. He was modest about his immense popularity and aware of his imaginative shortcomings (cit.: M. Stocker: 'Boehm, Joseph Edgar').
Bibliographic references
  • List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1892. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1893, pp. 224
  • Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie, British Sculpture 1470-2000: A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 2002 pp. 207-8, cat. no. 299
  • Stocker, M., Royalist and Realist: The Life and Work of Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm. New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1988. pp. 66-7, 412 no. 230, illus. 53
Collection
Accession number
1789-1892

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Record createdSeptember 26, 2005
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