Joseph Nollekens (1732-1823) British, 1803

with a label numbered: 1617 to the underside

Nollekens sale, 4 July 1823, lot 61, bought by 'Turner';
Professor Michael Jaffé CBE (1923-1997), Cambridge, United Kingdom;
and thence by family descent;
on loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (1976 - 2016)

London, Royal Academy of Arts, 1803, no. 930, 'Lot and his two daughters; a sketch'

A. Graves, The Royal Academy of Arts: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904, London, 1906, p. 382
J. Kenworthy-Browne, 'Terracotta models by Joseph Nollekens R.A.', The Sculpture Journal, 1998, vol. 2, pp. 75, 78 and 83;
I. Roscoe, E. Hardy and M.G. Sullivan (eds.), A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain 1660-1851, New Haven and London, 2009, p. 905, no. 171

Overall the condition of the terracotta is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age, with particular dirt in the crevices. There is a slip to the surface which may conceal some condition points. There are a few old chips, including to the seated girl's toes on the proper left foot, and to the foot of the jug. There is minor rubbing at some of the high points. There is a probably original joint visible on the underside of the base on the proper right side of the composition.
"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."

Nollekens' distinctive style was developed during his years in Rome (1762-1770) where he worked in the studio of Bartolomeo Cavaceppi restoring and copying antiquities. He was hailed as a ‘talented modeller’ during his lifetime (Smith, op. cit., pp. 13-15). He followed the custom of the more established sculptors of the time and produced his models in terracotta, although he preferred the use of plaster when he later returned to London. Portrait busts and figures made in clay as final works of art were rare at the time but became increasingly popular in France with sculptors like Clodion, who Nollekens probably met during his visits to the Académie Française at the Palazzo Mancini. Upon his return to England in 1770, Nollekens set up a flourishing studio, where he became best known for his portraiture. He also produced designs for garden sculpture, funerary monuments, and mythological statues, such as his Venus of 1773 now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Santa Monica.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. T. Smith, Nollekens and his Times, 1828, I, pp. 13-15