Some Further Plaster Busts of Isaac Newton.
18th and 19th Century.
updated 11 April 2023.
A few notes and photographs.
This posts forms part of a project to list with any provenance details, and post photographs of all the 18th century portrait sculpture of Isaac Newton.
It updates and enlarges on the the work already completed by Milo Keynes in The Iconography of Isaac Newton, pub Boydell. 2005.
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Sir George Scharf (1820 - 95) bought a bust of Newton at Christie's Lot 40, 17 March, 1864 for the National Gallery, which was described in the catalogue as terracotta but turned out to be plaster. It was returned to Christie's.
Rather short sighted in my view.
It is worth putting the Catalogue description here.
"A bust of Isaac Newton in terracotta, this replica of the bust at Cambridge was presented by the artist Roubiliac to his friend William Hogarth as a token of esteem, and purchased from him by the celebrated John Hunter on the sale of whose effects Mr Sharon Turner purchased it in whose family it has remained ever since"
It had been bought by Dr John Hunter on 24 April 1790, Lot 56 in a sale of the properties of Mrs Hogarth.
A Catalogue of Pictures and Prints the Property of the late Mrs Hogarth at Greenwood's of Leicester Square.
Lot 57, in the same sale was the terracotta bust of Hogarth by Roubiliac (acquired by the NPG in 1861).
The bust of Newton was sold again in Christie's 4 day sale of Hunters property lot 60, 31st January 1794.
Hogarth had depicted a bust of the Roubiliac Newton in his portrait of Benjamin Hoadly (below).
Benjamin Hoadly (1676 - 1761).
with a bust of Isaac Newton after Roubiliac,
William Hogarth.
Keynes suggests c.1739.
Fitzwilliam Museum.
Image Courtesy Art UK.
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Ben. and Robert Shout of Holborn. fl. 1760 - 1840 supplied plaster busts of Newton in three sizes large as life, 12 - 18 inches and 12 inches and under - see their catalogue pub after 1801 (link below).
Charles Harris in 1777 supplied plaster busts of Newton in two sizes - see catalogue (link below)
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Isaac Newton
Plaster
Loosely after Roubiliac.
West Wycombe Park
Isaac Newton.
Small Plaster bust - about half life size.
West Wycombe Park.
Loosely based on the Roubiliac Newton.
One of a set of five probably supplied by John Cheere.
Newton, Locke, Pope, Milton and Socrates.
Photographed by the author.
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Issac Newton.
After Roubiliac.
Bronzed Plaster Bust.
56.5 cms
Attributed by Sotheby's to John Cheere.
The bronzing appears to be original.
Sold Sotheby's. Lot 172 9 July 2009.
The attribution to Cheere would seem very reasonable given its quality. The embroidered work on the dress is typical of these Cheere busts - the original bronzing is a rare survival as these busts were so often painted and repainted over the years.
For a good brief biography of John Cheere see -
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Isaac Newton.
Plaster Cast after Roubilliac.
The turned socle would suggest a later date for this plaster bust, perhaps late 18th century / early 19th century.
Institute of Astrology Trinity College, Cambridge.
These photographs kindly supplied by Mark Hurn, Departmental Librarian, Institute of Astronomy,
University of Cambridge.
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Isaac Newton.
Plaster cast.
After Roubiliac.
The form of the socle suggests 19th Century or later.
Woolsthorpe Hall, National Trust.
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Isaac Newton.
Plaster bust After Michael Rysbrack.
Signed M Rysbrack and dated 1739, under the left shoulder.
Height 60.5 cms.
Previous literature has suggested that this bust is terracotta - this is definitely not the case.
Given by T.D. Barlow (1883 - 1964), who had purchased it from Messrs Spink in 1932.
Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge.
Photographed by the author.
This bust was in Rysbrack's studio until 1756 when it was purchased by Sir Edward Littleton (1726 - 1812) who proceeded to purchase 8 more busts from Rysbrack over the next 10 years to decorate Teddesley Park, near Stafford.
There is a letter at Trinity College to Sir Edward Littleton from Michael Rysbrack, dated Febry 12. 1756.
"I have in whole 4 busts finished, Milton Sr Isaac Newton, Mr Lock and Bacon and now I promise you to begin with the bust of Walter Raleigh. The reason of not sending Sir Francis Bacon,is; that (as a terracotta bust) it must be dried first and afterwards burned which cannot be done till Summer, it being half dry yet".
The busts of John Milton and Alexander Pope are now in the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge. Bacon and Sir Walter Raleigh are at the National Maritime Museum.
Rysbrack used Peter Vannini 'the caster in plaster of Paris ("who I employ when I want") to make his plaster casts (Webb).
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Isaac Newton
Plaster cast after Roubiliac supplied by Pietro Sarti in 1830.
Athenaeum Club
Images from -
http://www.victorianweb.org/sculpture/athenaeum/catalogue.html
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Isaac Newton.
Plaster cast after Rysbrack.
Inscribed Brucciani. (Domenico Brucciani).
Mid 19th Century.
Science Museum.
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Isaac Newton.
Plaster Cast after Rysbrack.
Woolsthorpe Hall, Lincolnshire, (birthplace of Newton).
Age and provenance yet to be determined.
National Trust.
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Isaac Newton.
Plaster bust after Rysbrack.
59.7cms.
Sold Christie's Lot 105, 5 December, 2013.
The Christie's catalogue suggests that it is the same as the British Museum plaster version (below) but a cursory glance shows that the BM version is a much inferior copy.
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Isaac Newton
The British Museum Plaster Bust
after Michael Rysbrack.
Isaac Newton
The British Museum Plaster Bust
after Michael Rysbrack.
Height 54.5 cms.
Photographs from the British Museum website.
Bequeathed to the British Museum by Sir Hans Sloane in 1753.
This is a peculiarly low quality plaster bust, the detail of the hair and shirt are very poor. It seems odd that Sir Hans Sloane would own such an inferior quality object - especially give the quality of other Newton plaster busts available at the time.
The holes all over the back are mysterious.
I have had second thoughts since posting this piece, given its early date but indifferent quality I wonder whether it might be related to the "Artificial Stone" made briefly by Batty Langley.
A gilded plaster portrait relief of Newton in the BM was given to Sloane by Batty Langley.
see -
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Isaac Newton
Bronzed Plaster Bust
height 75 cms.
Life Size.
After Michael Rysbrack.
Music Room West Wycombe Park, Bucks.
One of a set of four busts at West Wycombe comprising Newton, Milton, Dryden and Locke.
Photographed by the author in very low light.
The form of the support between the socle and the bust is very close to that used by Shout of Holburn and later by Sarti.
It has been suggested that this set of busts was supplied by John Cheere but I am doubtful given the form of the support over the socle.
The smaller busts also at West Wycombe on the other hand were almost certainly supplied by Cheere (see the Newton at the top of this page).
The set of four plaster busts in the Music Room at West Wycombe Park.
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The Arniston House Plaster bust of Isaac Newton loosely
based on the original by Michael Rysbrack.
All photographs taken by the author in 2015.
This bust is one of a series of 16 busts in the Skied Library at Arniston House .
It was possibly supplied when the library was refurbished in 1756. The other busts in the library were probably collected by Robert Dundas II earlier - in the 1730's whilst on his "Grand Tour".
I am very grateful to Henrietta Dundas for allowing me the opportunity to photograph this bust and the other statuary at Arniston House, Midlothian, Scotland.
For an in depth look at the Series of Plaster busts and figures in the Skied Library at Arniston see -
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This posts forms part of a project to list and post photographs of all the known 18th century portrait sculpture of Isaac Newton.
It updates and enlarges on the the work already completed by Milo Keynes in The Iconography of Isaac Newton , pub Boydell. 2005.
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Marble bust of Isaac Newton
Edward Hodges Baily 1828.
Isaac Newton
Edward Hodges Baily (1788 - 1867).
1828
transferred from the Tate Gallery to the National Portrait Gallery in 1957.
Currently on display at Beningbrough Hall.
Based on the original by Roubiliac of 1751 in the Wren Library, Trinity College, Cambridge
28" tall
Note lack of shirt beneath the robe.
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw04663/Sir-Isaac-Newton
In 1828 Hodges Baily also completed busts of Francis Bacon ( after the Wren Library Marble) and John Locke, both after originals by Roubiliac, they are both at Magdalen College, Oxford.
It is interesting to note that these are not slavish copies but have minor variations from the originals particularly in the dress.
The bust of Locke has an inscription on the back stating that it was copied from a bust by Roubiliac but we have no documentary proof of a Roubiliac bust of Locke, I have located a further three marble versions of Locke which might also have been an original by Roubiliac and further 19th century copies - the bust of Locke sold by Sotheby's lot 148, 23 March 1971 is perhaps the original by Roubiliac - I only have a photocopy of a photograph of this bust but the quality shines through.
see - http://bathartandarchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/busts-of-john-locke-and-francis-bacon.html
For more on the Newton busts see -
http://english18thcenturyportraitsculpture.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/marble-bust-of-isaac-newton-in-wren.html
and other posts on this blog.
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