Earl Fitzwilliam thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Earl Fitzwilliam

Medallion
1825 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This portrait medallion depicts William Wentworth, the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam of Wentworth Woodhouse (1748-1833). It is based on the medal designed by Jonathan Wilson (c.1777-1829), which dates from 1824. It is likely to have been executed by a British sculptor shortly after that date. The circumference of the medallion is turned, while the portrait itself is carved. The Earl is depicted in profile facing left, wearing a fur-lined jacket or coat, and a wig. Such small portable likenesses were popular in Britain and elsewhere in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th-centuries. The metal ring would have allowed the medallion to be hung on a wall or perhaps in a display cabinet.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleEarl Fitzwilliam (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory and metal
Brief description
Carved ivory medallion with metal loop for suspension, depicting a bust of William Wentworth, the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam (1748-1833), wearing a fur-lined coat or jacket in profile facing left. After the medal of 1824 by Jonathan Wilson (c.1777-1829)
Physical description
Carved and turned ivory medallion, with metal ring for suspension.
Dimensions
  • Width: 8.0cm
  • Height: 8.5cm
  • Height: 8.5cm
Credit line
Given by J.H.J. Lewis O.B.E.
Object history
Given to the museum by J. H. J. Lewis O.B.E. in 2016.
Associations
Summary
This portrait medallion depicts William Wentworth, the 4th Earl Fitzwilliam of Wentworth Woodhouse (1748-1833). It is based on the medal designed by Jonathan Wilson (c.1777-1829), which dates from 1824. It is likely to have been executed by a British sculptor shortly after that date. The circumference of the medallion is turned, while the portrait itself is carved. The Earl is depicted in profile facing left, wearing a fur-lined jacket or coat, and a wig. Such small portable likenesses were popular in Britain and elsewhere in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th-centuries. The metal ring would have allowed the medallion to be hung on a wall or perhaps in a display cabinet.
Bibliographic reference
See the Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, pp. 508-9, for a reference to the bronze medal designed by Jonathan Wilson, from which this ivory is derived, http://web.archive.org/web/20221215150815/https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/readbook_text/Biographical_Dictionary_of_Medallists_v6_1000%20393837/509
Collection
Accession number
A.8-2016

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Record createdOctober 24, 2014
Record URL
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