John Hogan (1800-1858) Irish, mid 19th century

Overall very good condition with minor scratches and chips consistent with age. Minor surface dirt and some very minor yellowing possibly from cleaning
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The Irish sculptor John Hogan began his career in the workshop of the architect Thomas Deane, producing decorative carvings. His love of classical antiquity stemmed from his early study of casts of the Vatican marbles which arrived in Cork in 1818. Funded by public subscription, Hogan travelled to Rome in 1824 to study at the English Academy. His work soon earned the praise of John Gibson and Bertel Thorwaldsen. From Rome he sent works to be exhibited at both the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Royal Academy.

Working exclusively in marble, Hogan’s work sought to blend naturalism with the Neo-classical Ideal. His Venus adopts a classical pose, but her rigidity is tempered by the delicate gestures of the hands holding the drapery and the careful description of the curves of torso and stomach.

RELATED LITERATURE
Strickland, W.G. A Dictionary of Irish Artists, 2 volumes, Dublin, 1913, vol. I, pp.489-96; J. Turpin, John Hogan, Irish Neoclassical Sculptor in Rome, Dublin, 1982, pp. 22-28