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Bronze Bust of the Duke of Wellington by George Gammon Adams
- Upon the Duke of Wellington's death in 1852, his favored sculptor George G. Adams made this bronze
- Wellington's son, the 2nd Duke, pronounced it "by far the best that has appeared."
- Cast from Adams' original marble, this bronze is one of only three known life-size examples
- Adams presents the Duke in the manner of a Roman senator, the bare chest and draped mantle across the left shoulder invoking the classical tradition of civic virtue and command
- Get complete item description here
$74,500
Item No.
32-2866
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Description
George Gammon Adams
1821–1898 | British
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Signed and dated "G.G. Adams Sc / London. 1852." on the reverse
Bronze
This life-size bronze bust immortalizes Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who was the field marshal who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Queen Victoria famously called him "the greatest man this country ever produced." Upon the Duke's death in 1852, his favored sculptor George Gammon Adams was selected. . .
1821–1898 | British
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Signed and dated "G.G. Adams Sc / London. 1852." on the reverse
Bronze
This life-size bronze bust immortalizes Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who was the field marshal who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Queen Victoria famously called him "the greatest man this country ever produced." Upon the Duke's death in 1852, his favored sculptor George Gammon Adams was selected. . .
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George Gammon Adams
1821–1898 | British
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Signed and dated "G.G. Adams Sc / London. 1852." on the reverse
Bronze
This life-size bronze bust immortalizes Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who was the field marshal who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Queen Victoria famously called him "the greatest man this country ever produced." Upon the Duke's death in 1852, his favored sculptor George Gammon Adams was selected to take his death mask, and the portrait Adams modeled from it received the endorsement of the sitter's own family. Wellington's son, the 2nd Duke, pronounced it "by far the best that has appeared" and affirmed that it would thereafter stand as the authentic likeness of his father.
Cast from Adams' original marble, this bronze is one of the very few life-size examples. One remains with the Wellington family, while the other resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London—the very work the museum selected when the sculptor's daughter offered it a choice among her father's portraits.
Adams presents the Duke in the manner of a Roman senator, the bare chest and draped mantle across the left shoulder invoking the classical tradition of civic virtue and command. The modeling of the face proceeds directly from the death mask, preserving the aquiline nose, the deep-set eyes and the drawn cheeks of a man in his eighty-third year, yet the sculptor lifts the head and firms the jaw to restore the authority the nation recognized in him. Fine chasing distinguishes the crisp waves of hair and the folds of drapery from the smooth planes of the brow and cheek, while a warm brown patina unifies the whole. Adams held the work in sufficient regard to exhibit it at the Royal Academy in 1854 and again in 1859.
George Gammon Adams (1821-1898) trained at the Royal Academy Schools and studied in Rome under John Gibson before establishing himself among the leading portrait sculptors of Victorian Britain. His commission to record Wellington's features after death represents the summit of his career and secured his reputation, though he also produced the statue of General Napier in Trafalgar Square and a substantial body of portrait medals. Adams' Wellington remains the definitive sculpted likeness of the Duke, reproduced and copied throughout the nineteenth century.
32 1/2" high x 16 1/2" wide x 13" deep (82.55 x 41.91 x 33.02 cm)
Provenance:
Private Collection, London
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
1821–1898 | British
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Signed and dated "G.G. Adams Sc / London. 1852." on the reverse
Bronze
This life-size bronze bust immortalizes Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who was the field marshal who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Queen Victoria famously called him "the greatest man this country ever produced." Upon the Duke's death in 1852, his favored sculptor George Gammon Adams was selected to take his death mask, and the portrait Adams modeled from it received the endorsement of the sitter's own family. Wellington's son, the 2nd Duke, pronounced it "by far the best that has appeared" and affirmed that it would thereafter stand as the authentic likeness of his father.
Cast from Adams' original marble, this bronze is one of the very few life-size examples. One remains with the Wellington family, while the other resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London—the very work the museum selected when the sculptor's daughter offered it a choice among her father's portraits.
Adams presents the Duke in the manner of a Roman senator, the bare chest and draped mantle across the left shoulder invoking the classical tradition of civic virtue and command. The modeling of the face proceeds directly from the death mask, preserving the aquiline nose, the deep-set eyes and the drawn cheeks of a man in his eighty-third year, yet the sculptor lifts the head and firms the jaw to restore the authority the nation recognized in him. Fine chasing distinguishes the crisp waves of hair and the folds of drapery from the smooth planes of the brow and cheek, while a warm brown patina unifies the whole. Adams held the work in sufficient regard to exhibit it at the Royal Academy in 1854 and again in 1859.
George Gammon Adams (1821-1898) trained at the Royal Academy Schools and studied in Rome under John Gibson before establishing himself among the leading portrait sculptors of Victorian Britain. His commission to record Wellington's features after death represents the summit of his career and secured his reputation, though he also produced the statue of General Napier in Trafalgar Square and a substantial body of portrait medals. Adams' Wellington remains the definitive sculpted likeness of the Duke, reproduced and copied throughout the nineteenth century.
32 1/2" high x 16 1/2" wide x 13" deep (82.55 x 41.91 x 33.02 cm)
Provenance:
Private Collection, London
M.S. Rau, New Orleans
Read Less
Specifications
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | England |
| Type: | Sculpture |
| Style: | Neoclassicism |
| Depth: | 13.0 in. (33.02 cm) |
| Width: | 16.5 in. (41.91 cm) |
| Height: | 32.5 in. (82.55 cm) |
Buy With Confidence
For over a century, we've placed important art, rare jewels and exceptional objects with more than 14,000 collectors worldwide, and have been recognized by trusted publications including Robb Report, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and more.
On Approval
Examine select works in person before you commit
125% Guarantee
Full credit plus 5% annual appreciation for five years
Trusted Expertise
Over two centuries of combined experience across our specialists
