John Jones thumbnail 1
John Jones thumbnail 2
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images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

John Jones

Bust and Plinth
1882 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The depicted John Jones bequeathed a large collection of mainly French 18th-century furniture to the Museum in 1882. He had been a sleeping partner since 1850 in a firm of military tailors, Rogers, John Jones Ltd, at 33 Bruton Street, London. As Jones died on 7 January 1882, this bust is almost certainly a posthumous commemorative portrait.

The bust and pedestal were originally at the premises of Rogers, John Jones Ltd. The vendor of the bust had been employed by the firm, and believed that it had been in the company's possession since 1882. The Museum used to own a plaster version of the bust (Mus. no. 12-1900), but this was sold to the present firm of Rogers, John Jones Ltd, 16 Clifford Street, London, in 1971.

John Lawlor initially studied at the Royal Dublin Society Schools; in 1845 he travelled to England and attended the Royal Academy Schools. His best known work is the group representing "Mechanics" which he executed in 1864 for the Albert Memorial. He travelled to America in 1886, returning to London in 1901.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Plinth
  • Bust
TitleJohn Jones (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Marble
Brief description
Bust and plinth, marble, of John Jones, by John Lawlor, England, 1882
Physical description
Bust, marble. Grey marble pedestal with white mouldings at the top and bottom. Signed and dated.
Dimensions
  • Including socle height: 700mm (Measured by Conservation, 2012)
  • Of socle height: 133mm
  • Width: 350mm (Measured by Conservation, 2012)
  • Depth: 280mm (Measured by Conservation, 2012)
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'J.LAWLOR Sc 1882' (on the truncation of the back)
  • 'JOHN JONES ESQ/1800-1882/Sculptor. J. Lawlor' (on the pedestal)
Gallery label
(1993 - 2011)
JOHN JONES (1800-1882)
Irish; signed and dated 1882
By John Lawlor (1820-1901)

This is almost certainly a posthumous bust of John Jones, who bequeathed a large collection of primarily French works of art of the eighteenth century to the Museum in 1882. Many are on display in this sequence of rooms.

Lawlor was of Dublin origin, and had exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851, as well as being one of the artists who worked on the Albert Memorial.
Object history
Held on the premises of the military tailors Rogers, John Jones Ltd, 33 Bruton Street, London (exact dates unknown; though possibly in their possession from 1882). Passed into the possession of Mrs Margaret Charters Kirk, an employee at the firm. Purchased together with its marble pedestal, from Mrs Margaret Charters-Kirk, London in 1970 for £50.
Subject depicted
Summary
The depicted John Jones bequeathed a large collection of mainly French 18th-century furniture to the Museum in 1882. He had been a sleeping partner since 1850 in a firm of military tailors, Rogers, John Jones Ltd, at 33 Bruton Street, London. As Jones died on 7 January 1882, this bust is almost certainly a posthumous commemorative portrait.

The bust and pedestal were originally at the premises of Rogers, John Jones Ltd. The vendor of the bust had been employed by the firm, and believed that it had been in the company's possession since 1882. The Museum used to own a plaster version of the bust (Mus. no. 12-1900), but this was sold to the present firm of Rogers, John Jones Ltd, 16 Clifford Street, London, in 1971.

John Lawlor initially studied at the Royal Dublin Society Schools; in 1845 he travelled to England and attended the Royal Academy Schools. His best known work is the group representing "Mechanics" which he executed in 1864 for the Albert Memorial. He travelled to America in 1886, returning to London in 1901.
Bibliographic references
  • Sutton, D. (ed.), ‘A Born Virtuoso’, in: Apollo, XCV, March 1972, fig. 2 on pp.157, 158
  • 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. 317, cat. no. 484
Collection
Accession number
A.79&A-1970

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Record createdDecember 11, 2002
Record URL
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