John Bacon II (1777-1859) British, 1812

Probably Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis (1774-1823)
thence by descent to Lady Jemima Cornwallis (1803-1856) who, in 1824, married Edward Granville Eliot, 3rd Earl of St. Germans (1798-1877)
thence by family descent
their sale, Christie's London, Property of the St. Germans 1962 Settlement, 8 December 1992, lot 83

Overall the condition is very good with some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some veining visible on the surface consistent with material, with some slight spots to the face. There are some minor naturally occurring inclusions to the surface including one at the forehead and some to the reverse. There is a minor chip to the drapery on the proper right side of the truncation.
"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."

This impressive bust is compositionally close to the marble monument to Cornwallis in the east quadrangle of the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, which was designed by John Bacon I (1740-99) and executed by his son John Bacon II (1777-1759) in 1803. As in the monument, Cornwallis is presented in the guise of a Classical hero, with his proud facial expression, and military cuirass obscured by a great swathe of drapery tied together with a prominent fibula. There is a near-identical bust of Cornwallis by Bacon at Squerryes Court, Kent, in which the general wears a wig; this bust is also thought to come from the Cornwallis family, through his niece Charlotte Madan. The absence of a wig in the present portrait lends to the bust an air of informality, whilst associating the figure more firmly with the classical past. Bacon also created a statue of Cornwallis in 1810, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1811 and is now in the Dr Bhau Daji lad Museum, Mumbai. A now lost bust of Cornwallis was also exhibited by the sculptor's father at the Royal Academy in 1798.

Charles Cornwallis was famously the British general who surrendured to American and French forces at Yorktown in October 1781, thereby effectively drawing the American War of Independence to a close. Despite this defeat, he went on to carve out a prominent career for himself as a colonial administrator, becoming Governor General of India in 1786 and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1798. He was created Marquess Cornwallis in 1792.

RELATED LITERATURE:
A. Graves, The Royal Academy of Arts. A complete dictionary of contributors 1769-1904, 1905, I, p. 88; R. Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculptors, London, 1968, pp. 28-31; J. Bryant, 'John Bacon the Younger', J. Turner (ed.), The dictionary of art, London, 1996