English Early 18th Century Bust of a Philosopher
English early 18th Century bust of a philosopher, almost certainly Aristotle.
Portland Stone.
Height 28½" (72.5cm).
Width 27½" (70.5 cm).
This is a very unusual idealised portrait of a philosopher, almost certainly Aristotle. This image of Aristotle has its origins in Renaissance representations found in contemporary engravings and a small number of bronzes of that period (1). A bronze bust of similar character, described as Aristotle, is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,(2) and John Cheere is known to have produced busts of Aristotle of the same type in the 18th Century.(3) The shape of this Portland stone bust indicates that it was probably originally displayed in a niche, most likely as part of a group of notable figures from history, such as those at Stowe.
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Footnotes
1. For prints, see especially Erna Mandosky and Charles Mitchell, Pirro Ligorio's Roman Antiquities, London, Warburg Institute, 1963, pp. 90-91, Plate 45. Also Enea Vico’s ‘Portrait of Aristotle’, of 1546, British Museum, London (see Giulio Bodon, Enea Vico, Fra Memoria E Miraggio Della Classicitá, 1997, Fig. 69).
2. Museum no. 47.1380. Bronze bust of Aristotle. Italian, 1400-1500. Height 26¾" (68cm). Bought in October 1947 from Duveen Brothers for $8,000.
3. John Cheere made a bust of Aristotle for the library at Blair Castle in 1742 amongst a group of other library busts. We are grateful to Kate Eustace for this information. Cheere is also known to have supplied Wedgwood and Bentley with a plaster bust of Aristotle in 1774, together with other busts of Plato, Homer and Shakespeare (see Timothy Clifford and Terry Friedman, The Man at Hyde Park Corner, The Sculpture of John Cheere 1709-1787, (the catalogue of an exhibition at Temple Newsam, Leeds and Marble Hill House, Twickenham), 1974, Pl. 7, no. 76, and Appendix G.
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Illustrations opposite :-
1. Bronze bust in Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
2. Enea Vico engraving from Giulio Bodon, Enea Vico, Fra Memoria E Miraggio Della Classicitá, 1997, Fig. 69.
3. Various Representations of Aristotle in Erna Mandosky and Charles Mitchell, Pirro Ligorio's Roman Antiquities, London Warburg Institute, 1963, pp. 90-91, Plate 45.
