Pope Benedict XIII thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Pope Benedict XIII

Relief
1726 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one wax of a group of twenty-nine wax sculptures bequeathed to the Museum by Edward (Teddy) Pyke. Mr. Pyke had devoted most of his life to the study of waxes, and was the recognised authority in the field. His 'Biographical Dictionary of Wax Modellers', published in 1973, has become the standard reference book for students of the subject. Mr Pyke's own collection was wide-ranging, and included British, German, French and Italian portraits and figure subjects from the sixteenth century up to the present day. His generous bequest augmented and complemented the then existing holdings of waxes in the Museum, many of which are on display nearby in Room 63. The Fitzwilliam Museum also received waxes from Mr. Pyke's bequest.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePope Benedict XIII (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Wax in glazed wood frame
Brief description
Relief, coloured wax in glazed wood frame, Pope Benedict XIII, Italian, by J.G. Sindler, 1726
Physical description
This is a circular relief set on glass in a round wood frame, which is set into a modern rectangular wood frame with cover. Inscription around.
Dimensions
  • Height: 8.5cm
  • Width: 8.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'BENEDICTVS XIII PONT[IFEX] MAX[IMUS]' (inscription around the portrait)
  • 'Gio: Giorgio. Sindler. Tedesco. F in. Roma 1726' (signed on the inner circular frame)
  • 'Pope Benedict / N. 815 / His dinner cost him only sixpence a day when Pope' (Inside of the cover is inscribed in 19th century handwriting)
Credit line
Bequeathed by E. J. Pyke
Object history
Bequeathed by E. J. Pyke in 1996, c/o Bird and Bird Solicitors, London.
Subject depicted
Summary
This is one wax of a group of twenty-nine wax sculptures bequeathed to the Museum by Edward (Teddy) Pyke. Mr. Pyke had devoted most of his life to the study of waxes, and was the recognised authority in the field. His 'Biographical Dictionary of Wax Modellers', published in 1973, has become the standard reference book for students of the subject. Mr Pyke's own collection was wide-ranging, and included British, German, French and Italian portraits and figure subjects from the sixteenth century up to the present day. His generous bequest augmented and complemented the then existing holdings of waxes in the Museum, many of which are on display nearby in Room 63. The Fitzwilliam Museum also received waxes from Mr. Pyke's bequest.
Bibliographic references
  • Trusted, Marjorie, ‘The Pyke Bequest of waxes at the Victoria & Albert Museum’, in: Apollo, Vol. Jan 1997, pp. 41-45, fig. 3
  • Pyke, E. J. A Biographical Dictionary of Wax Modellers. Oxford, 1973, p. 137
Collection
Accession number
A.6-1996

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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