English, mid-18th century

with the coat of arms of the Earls of Chesterfield on the socle

The Right Hon. Nathaniel Clements, M.P. (1705-1777), and thence by descent
Sotheby's London, 16 December 1998, lot 150

Overall the condition of the bronze is good. There is some minor dirt to the surface consistent with age. There are several areas of flaking to an old laquer patina, some of which, particularly on the forehead, nose and chin, have been retouched. There is some further wear to the patina consistent with age, including two scratches on the forehead and a small scuffed area under the proper left collar bone. There is a slight dent on the chin. There are a few minor casting flaws in the hair, with one patched behind the proper left ear. The joints of the iron armature are visible on the shoulders. The bust is slightly loose on the base. There are a few minor chips to the edges of of the base.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Roubiliac is known to have made life-size bronze portrait busts only twice in his illustrious career. The three bronze busts of Philip Stanhope, 4^th Earl of Chesterfield, form the most famous group and the present work is the only example from these three that is still in private hands. Until the appearance of the apparently unique bronze bust of Alexander Pope in these rooms in 2007, the Chesterfield busts were thought to be the only bronze portrait busts Roubiliac had created.

The genesis of the Chesterfield bronzes is thought to have been the result of a special demand from the client. As a prominent political and literary figure in mid-18^th century British society Chesterfield was concerned with the promotion of his own image.  In 1752 Chesterfield wrote to his friend and protégé Richard Chevenix, then Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland concerning the arrival of 'a busto of ... [himself], cast from a marble one done by Mr. Hoare, at Bath, for Mr. Adderly: it is generally thought very like'.  Whilst the repetition of important portrait busts in plaster and occasionally terracotta was quite common during the period, the Chesterfield bronze series is exceptional.  Two terracotta and three plaster busts of the subject are recorded in Roubiliac's 1762 posthumous sale, however, the absence of the bronzes from the sale confirms that, like the original marble, their production was for specific commissions.

The exact circumstances for the commissioning of the Roubiliac bronzes is not documented, but it is reasonable to suppose that these were done in connection with Chesterfield's period of office as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland between July 1745 and July 1746.  Another bronze bust, that has a very similar marble socle attached with bronze coat of arms, is in Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland until 1922. The latter is signed and dated 1746.  The present bust comes originally from the collection of the Right Hon. Nathaniel Clements M.P. (1705-1777) who was Ranger of Phoenix Park, Dublin which was the focus of one of Chesterfield's major projects to replant the royal deer park, an initiative designed to create jobs.  The third bust in the series is in the Victoria and Albert Museum but its original provenance is not known.

The prime version of Roubiliac's bust of Chesterfield is the marble now in the National Portrait Gallery, London. The marble is dated 1745 and inscribed 'ad vivum'. Chesterfield must have had sittings with the sculptor between May and July when he was in London. The portrait is exceptionally classicizing for Roubiliac, with the absence of any drapery and a long muscular torso. This seems to reflect a sympathy by both sculptor and patron for antiquity, confirmed on the part of Chesterfield by a letter written in 1745 to his son in which he describes a bust of Cicero that he had just acquired for his library.  A visual association between Chesterfield and Cicero would surely have seemed appropriate for an 18^th century man of letters whose essays and letters to his son and godson are renowned for their wit and rhetorical accomplishment. This affinity with and admiration of Cicero is further emphasised in Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of Chesterfield in which he holds a copy of Cicero's de Senecute.

Despite the overtly classical sentiment of this bust, the particular sensitivity and vitality of Roubiliac's portrayal is probably the result of a clear sympathy of ideals between the Huguenot sculptor and Chesterfield, who was educated by Jounneau, the minister of the Huguenot church in Berwick Street, Soho and had spent several years in Paris.

Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4^th Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773), famously the controversial patron of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary, was a prominent 18th century politician, diplomat and man of letters.

Chesterfield is best known today for his Letters to his son and godson, which have been described as 'guides to manners, the art of pleasing, and the art of worldly success.' In them he imparts wisdom gained through a lifetime of public service, social engagement and travel. Two of his more famous lines include the advice that, 'The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it,' and his quip, 'The young leading the young, is like the blind leading the blind; they will both fall into the ditch.' The Letters were nonetheless viewed with scorn by many of his contemporaries, not least by Samuel Johnson, who furiously condemned them as teaching 'the morals of a whore, and the manners of a dancing master.' Despite this, these and Chesterfield's other writings have widely been seen as providing evidence of his wit, observation and literary prowess, and today are regarded as holding an important place in the history of English literature. As an important literary patron, Chesterfield associated with many of the most prominent writers of his day, including Alexander Pope, John Gay, Montesquieu and Voltaire. However, his relationships with the authors he supported were not always harmonious.

Educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he was a Francophile who, as a Grand Tourist, spent time in Paris admiring French culture, manners and taste. Aged 21, he entered the House of Commons, allying himself with the Whig party, and, in 1721 he succeeded his father, becoming the 4^th Earl of Chesterfield. As ambassador to The Hague between 1728-32 he impressed Sir Robert Walpole, was consequently awarded with the post of Lord High Steward, and, in 1731, signed the Treaty of Vienna, which paved the way for the Anglo-Austrian Alliance. His illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope, was born in Holland in 1732.

Chesterfield returned to England that same year and resumed his seat in the House of Lords, where he distinguished himself as a strong opponent of Walpole, eventually leading to his dismissal as Lord High Steward in 1738. He joined the administration of Henry Pelham in 1744, becoming successively special envoy to The Hague, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Secretary of State. While in Ireland, he organised projects designed to provide work for the poor and the unemployed, the most prominent of which was the comprehensive replanting of the royal deer park in Dublin, The Phoenix Park, discussed above, which he opened to the public in 1747. Following a short term as Secretary of State (1746–48), he gradually retired from politics due to poor health, dying in London in 1773.