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S0015
Sculpture: S0015
Title
David Garrick
Technique
Bronze
Subject
Artist
Date
1758
Dimensions
Height: 18.5cm
Width: 15.5cm
Depth: 6cm
Width: 15.5cm
Depth: 6cm
Other materials
Gilt; 25x21x6 oval mount
Inscription/signature
“DAVID GARRICK. Arm, / L. F.Roubiliac Sct. ad Vivum / 1758 (verso); DAVID GARRICK. Armr, L. F. Roubiliac Sct. ad Vivum. 1758 / Presented to the Garrick Club, by Peter Norton. Esqr.”, in cream paint on wooden label loosely attached to bottom of frame
Provenance
Presented to the Garrick Club by Peter Norton, 1833
Other number
Gift 4
Exhibition history
1985 Museum of London “The Quiet Conquest. The Huguenots (1685-1985)” (201)
2003 Bath, Holbourne Museum "Every Look Speaks: Portraits of David Garrick"
Literature
Katherine A. Esdaile “The Life and Works of Louis Francois Roubiliac” (1928) p. 110; J. V. G. Mallet ‘Some Portrait Medallions by Roubiliac’, “Burlington Magazine” (1962) 104: 153-8 figs. 27, 31
The oval plaque is made of highly polished bronze. The bust itself is attached to the plaque and is gilded bronze. The gilding, which is matt, may not be original.
Roubiliac was closely involved with Garrick in 1758, in which year he completed the statue of Shakespeare for the Shakespeare temple in Garrick's river-side garden at Hampton (See G0938). He also produced a terracotta bust of Garrick, seen in Soldi's portrait of Roubiliac in the Garrick Club (G0727). The Soldi is signed and dated 1757/8, and although the terracotta bust is lost there is a plaster cast of it in the National Portrait Gallery (707a). It is similar in many ways to S0015, although the bronze has a much brighter feel to it with the head lifted, the stoop alleviated, and details such as the buttons added. The bronze clearly dates slightly later than the terracotta. Roubiliac's posthumous sale, 12-15 May 1762, included a set of plaster medallions depicting Garrick, Pope, Conyers Middleton, Handel, Inigo Jones, Oliver Cromwell, and Isaac Newton. In addition, the sale included four plaster medallions in plaster of Garrick and three medallions in wax as well as two terracotta busts, a plaster bust, and a mould for the bust. Roubiliac's marble bust of Garrick was sold at Mrs Garrick's sale, Christie's 23 June 1823. Mallet discusses five other bronze busts by Roubiliac similar to S0015. They depict Alexander Pope, Conyers Middleton, and George Frederick Handel (3 versions).
Roubiliac was closely involved with Garrick in 1758, in which year he completed the statue of Shakespeare for the Shakespeare temple in Garrick's river-side garden at Hampton (See G0938). He also produced a terracotta bust of Garrick, seen in Soldi's portrait of Roubiliac in the Garrick Club (G0727). The Soldi is signed and dated 1757/8, and although the terracotta bust is lost there is a plaster cast of it in the National Portrait Gallery (707a). It is similar in many ways to S0015, although the bronze has a much brighter feel to it with the head lifted, the stoop alleviated, and details such as the buttons added. The bronze clearly dates slightly later than the terracotta. Roubiliac's posthumous sale, 12-15 May 1762, included a set of plaster medallions depicting Garrick, Pope, Conyers Middleton, Handel, Inigo Jones, Oliver Cromwell, and Isaac Newton. In addition, the sale included four plaster medallions in plaster of Garrick and three medallions in wax as well as two terracotta busts, a plaster bust, and a mould for the bust. Roubiliac's marble bust of Garrick was sold at Mrs Garrick's sale, Christie's 23 June 1823. Mallet discusses five other bronze busts by Roubiliac similar to S0015. They depict Alexander Pope, Conyers Middleton, and George Frederick Handel (3 versions).
