This small statuette, probably a posthumous portrait, portrays a Member of Parliament, George Pitt (1663?-1735), whose marble bust by Henry Cheere is displayed in the British Galleries. Henry Cheere worked primarily in marble, while his brother John specialised in lead statuary; this work may be by either, or was perhaps a collaborative work between the brothers, designed by Henry and cast by his brother. Given the prominent presence of books in the piece, it could well have been made for a library.

Sir Henry Cheere (1703-1781) was one of the most successful sculptors in mid-18th-century Britain, and unlike some of his more eminent sculptor contemporaries, such as John Michael Rysbrack and Louis François Roubiliac, he was a native of this country. He specialised in portrait busts and tomb sculpture, and in the latter was particularly adept in the use of coloured marbles. He also employed a light, and yet at the same time highly-finished, style that was typical of the Rococo.

Statuettes for interiors became increasingly common in the 18th century, being less expensive and more easily displayed than larger marble pieces. John Cheere was famous for his garden sculptures, but also produced smaller works in lead and plaster. Often these were historical figures, such as Homer, Rubens and Van Dyck. A statuette of the poet Edmund Spenser (Museum no. A.3-1955) and one of Alexander Pope (A.4-1955) by John Cheere are also in the collection.