A putto holding the Crown and Coat of Arms of Scotland

Relief
ca. 1686 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This relief forms a pair with that showing a putto holding the crown and coat of arms of Ireland (Museum no. A.4-1973). The shape, subject and style of both suggest they may have formed part of an altarpiece erected in Whitehall Palace during the short reign of James II, who was a Roman Catholic.

The altarpiece at Whitehall Palace was dismantled following the fire of 1695, and re-erected as the high altar of Westminster Abbey in 1706. In about 1820 it was moved to Burnham-on-Sea, in Somerset. The figurative style of the putti recalls both the surviving fragments from the altarpiece at Burnham-on-Sea, and other known works by Grinling Gibbons and Arnold Quellin.

Although celebrated as a carver of wood sculpture, Gibbons also produced a number of marble church monuments. During the period in which Quellin worked with Gibbons, some particularly fine pieces were produced; Quellin had been trained in the Netherlands and was highly skilled as a marble carver. Gibbons may have met him in Amsterdam, where he too probably trained.

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read Grinling Gibbons – an introduction Grinling Gibbons (1648 – 1721) is Britain's most celebrated wood carver, his name synonymous with an evergreen style of decoration that transformed the interiors of many of the nation's greatest palaces, churches and institutions. He was also a designer and ran a flourishing business suppl...

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleA putto holding the Crown and Coat of Arms of Scotland (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Marble
Brief description
Relief, marble, putto, crown and coat of arms of Scotland, in the style of Arnold Quellin or Grinling Gibbons, England, ca. 1686
Physical description
Sculpture, marble. On of a pair. The naked putto looking towards his right, stands on a leafy mound. In his raised right hand he brandishes a thistle. With his left he supports a crown which surmounts a large auricular cartouche. On the cartouche there is a lion rampant. Fracture across the top right corner. The surface of the marble is weathered.
Dimensions
  • Height: 95.9cm
  • Width: 69.1cm
  • Overall depth incuding projecting relief depth: 11cm
  • Weight: 100kg
Gallery label
(2021)
Workshop of Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721) and Arnold Quellin (1653–86)
Putto holding the crown and coat of arms of Scotland
About 1686

Gibbons is best-known for his skill as a wood carver, but he also worked in marble and completed many royal commissions. He probably met the sculptor Quellin in Amsterdam. They worked together for several years in London. This relief was possibly commissioned by King James II who briefly reigned from 1685 to 1688.

London
Marble
Perhaps from an altarpiece in the Roman Catholic chapel in Whitehall Palace
Credit line
Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh FSA
Object history
Purchased from Peter Hone Antiques, 110 Islington High Street London, together with A.4-1973 for £600, using funds from the Hildburgh Bequest.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This relief forms a pair with that showing a putto holding the crown and coat of arms of Ireland (Museum no. A.4-1973). The shape, subject and style of both suggest they may have formed part of an altarpiece erected in Whitehall Palace during the short reign of James II, who was a Roman Catholic.

The altarpiece at Whitehall Palace was dismantled following the fire of 1695, and re-erected as the high altar of Westminster Abbey in 1706. In about 1820 it was moved to Burnham-on-Sea, in Somerset. The figurative style of the putti recalls both the surviving fragments from the altarpiece at Burnham-on-Sea, and other known works by Grinling Gibbons and Arnold Quellin.

Although celebrated as a carver of wood sculpture, Gibbons also produced a number of marble church monuments. During the period in which Quellin worked with Gibbons, some particularly fine pieces were produced; Quellin had been trained in the Netherlands and was highly skilled as a marble carver. Gibbons may have met him in Amsterdam, where he too probably trained.
Associated object
A.4-1973 (Pair)
Bibliographic references
  • Beard, G. The Work of Grinling Gibbons, London, 1989, pp. 26 and 196.
  • Cocke, T. 900 Years: The Restoration of Westminster Abbey, (Exhibition Catalogue), London, 1995, pp. 125-6
  • Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2002, pp. 10-11, cat. no. 12.
Collection
Accession number
A.3-1973

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Record createdAugust 14, 2006
Record URL
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