Not currently on display at the V&A

Female allegorical figure with putto and ram

Relief
ca. 1820 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This relief was one of 850 objects given to the Museum shortly after the firm of George Jackson & Sons moved from its old premises at the Rathbone Works, Rainville Road, Hammersmith, in 1989. At around the same time the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, near Chichester, acquired pattern boards with 'positives' from Jackson's.

When it entered the Museum's collections, it was suggested that this relief was designed by a follower of John Flaxman, possibly Henry Stothard, and that it was cast from an early 19th-century mould. The relief would probably have been used as part of an interior decorative scheme.

George Jackson & Sons Ltd, named after its founder George Jackson (1756-1840) was established in 1780 in premises at 49 Rathbone Place, London. They were London manufacturers specialized in papier-mâché mouldings and in the casting of decorative plasterwork for interiors and were closely associated with the architect Robert Adam, whose designs were executed in plasterwork. In an attempt to find a cheaper way to produce ornamental detail required for his interior designs, Adam had purchased from John Liardet his patented recipe for the composition, which he then passed to Jackson, who carved the moulds in boxwood, and used the plaster formula to press out the ornamental detail. The firm later moved to Rainville Road, Hammersmith, by which time the collection of moulds numbered around 20,000. The company was taken over around 1988 by Clark & Fenn Ltd.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFemale allegorical figure with putto and ram (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Plaster or composition
Brief description
Relief, plaster or composition, Female allegorical figure with putto and ram, cast by George Jackson & Sons, possibly designed by Henry Stothard, London, ca. 1820
Physical description
A semi-nude woman in swirling drapery stands facing to the left, extending her elft arm behind her. A boy kneels at her feet, eating grapes and feeding them to a goat sitting next to him.
Dimensions
  • Height: 85cm
  • Width: 74cm
Credit line
Given by George Jackson & Sons Ltd.
Object history
The relief was one of those at the Rathbone Works, Rainville Road, Hammersmith, London, works of Jackson & Sons, selected for the Museum when the firm moved premises in 1989. A further 850 objects were also acquired by the Department of Furniture and Woodwork.
Given by George Jackson & Sons Ltd, c/o J.C. England Esq., Director, Clark & Fenn Ltd, Mitcham House, Croydon, in 1990. Pattern boards with 'positives' were acquired from Jackson's by the Weald and Download Open Air Museum, Chichester at around the same time.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This relief was one of 850 objects given to the Museum shortly after the firm of George Jackson & Sons moved from its old premises at the Rathbone Works, Rainville Road, Hammersmith, in 1989. At around the same time the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, near Chichester, acquired pattern boards with 'positives' from Jackson's.

When it entered the Museum's collections, it was suggested that this relief was designed by a follower of John Flaxman, possibly Henry Stothard, and that it was cast from an early 19th-century mould. The relief would probably have been used as part of an interior decorative scheme.

George Jackson & Sons Ltd, named after its founder George Jackson (1756-1840) was established in 1780 in premises at 49 Rathbone Place, London. They were London manufacturers specialized in papier-mâché mouldings and in the casting of decorative plasterwork for interiors and were closely associated with the architect Robert Adam, whose designs were executed in plasterwork. In an attempt to find a cheaper way to produce ornamental detail required for his interior designs, Adam had purchased from John Liardet his patented recipe for the composition, which he then passed to Jackson, who carved the moulds in boxwood, and used the plaster formula to press out the ornamental detail. The firm later moved to Rainville Road, Hammersmith, by which time the collection of moulds numbered around 20,000. The company was taken over around 1988 by Clark & Fenn Ltd.
Bibliographic reference
Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie, British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2002, p. 308, cat. no. 472
Collection
Accession number
A.5-1990

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 10, 2002
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest