ANTIQUE MARBLE SCULPTURE.
A WHITE MARBLE BUST OF THE 3rd DUKE OF CUMBERLAND (1771-1851)
WORKSHOP OF JOSEPH NOLLEKENS R.A. (1737-1823)
English – Circa 1814.
A white marble portrait bust depicting the 3rd Duke of Cumberland, shown wearing Roman armour and toga in the classical manner, with a clasp to the right shoulder, and mounted on a circular socle base, similar to the bust by Joseph Nollekens, dated 1814, which is in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. Attributed to the Workshop of Nollekens.
Prince Earnest Augustus was born in Buckingham House, now Buckingham Palace, the eighth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte, and their fifth son, younger brother to George, Prince of Wales, later Prince Regent and King George IV. Earnest was educated at the University of Gottingen in Germany and received military training in Hanover, where he proved to be an excellent horseman and good shot. In 1792 he was commissioned with rank of Colonel in the 9th Hanoverian Light Dragoons and the following year commanded the 1st Brigade of Cavalry. By 1803 be was a General, and 1813, Field Marshall. In 1799 George III had created him Duke of Cumberland & Teviotdale and Earl of Armagh.. Following the death of his brother, King William IV, in 1837, he became King of Hanover. In 1815 he married his first cousin, Frederica, who already had eight children by two previous marriages and went on to have a further three children with Earnest, one of whom survived to become George Vof Hanover.
Joseph Nollekens was the most celebrated British sculptor of his day, and was particularly noted for his fine portrait busts, in addition to statues (including “Caster & Pollux” in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and “Boy & Dolphin” for the Empress of Russia) and monuments (for Westminster Abbey, Bath Abbey, Carlisle Cathedral, etc.). Born in London in 1737, the son of a painter, he was apprenticed to Peter Scheemakers in 1750. In 1762 he went to Rome, where he worked with Bartolomeo Cavaceppi, restoring and copying antique marbles. Returning to England in 1770 he was elected Royal Academician the following year.
The attribution for this present bust has been confirmed by John Kenworthy Browne, the noted authority on Nollekens and his works.
(This Gallery has previously sold the Nollekens bust of Charles James Fox, which was presented to his wife, Mrs Armistead, by Earl Fitzwilliam, and is now in the National Portrait Gallery).
Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis.
British Sculpture 1470-2000 by Diane Bilby & Marjorie Trusted.Height: 30” (76.25 cm)
