Not currently on display at the V&A

The Mother and Child

Relief
late 18th century - early 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This wax and textiles relief representing a Mother and Child is made by Bernhard Caspar Hardy (1726-1819) in Germany (Cologne) in about 1760-1800.

Hardy was one of the most important wax-modellers of his day, and these waxes exemplify his depictions of sentimental subjects, parallels of which can be found in contemporary paintings and engravings. This and the companion piece (A.2-1993) were not necessarily designed to be seen as a pair, although they are in similar frames, and may be intended to illustrate the theme of charity.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Mother and Child (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Wax and textiles mounted on glass
Brief description
Relief, wax and textiles mounted on glass, German (Cologne), by Bernhard Caspar Hardy (1726-1819), late 18th - early 19th century
Physical description
A grey-haired woman shown in half-length, seated on a red cushion, her left breast half-exposed, is about to suckle a child wrapped in a white shawl. The woman wears a green robe worn over a white chemise, with a yellow sash made of linen, and a white veil with a gold design. The wax is set on black glass.
Dimensions
  • Height: 21.8cm
  • Width: 8.3cm
  • Depth: 7.1cm
Object history
Purchased with A.2-1993 for £1117.44 from Sotheby's, London. Previously in the the Stanton Harcourt Collection. Sotheby's Harcourt Collection Sale, 10th June, 1993, lot 239.
Summary
This wax and textiles relief representing a Mother and Child is made by Bernhard Caspar Hardy (1726-1819) in Germany (Cologne) in about 1760-1800.

Hardy was one of the most important wax-modellers of his day, and these waxes exemplify his depictions of sentimental subjects, parallels of which can be found in contemporary paintings and engravings. This and the companion piece (A.2-1993) were not necessarily designed to be seen as a pair, although they are in similar frames, and may be intended to illustrate the theme of charity.
Bibliographic references
  • Pyke, E. J. A Biographical Dictionary of Wax Modellers. Oxford, 1973, pp. 63-65
  • Möller, L. L. et al., Die Bildwerke des 18. Jahrhunderts, Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe 1977, No. 128
  • González-Palacios, Alvar, A Secrétaire by Theodor Commer with panels containing wax figures by Caspar Bernhard Hardy, Walter Padovani, Milan, 2016
Collection
Accession number
A.1-1993

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Record createdMarch 19, 2004
Record URL
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