Posted 7 years ago
Hamish
(57 items)
Well here is something that I aquired via my work which had been abandoned in an old loft. It is quite large, about two feet high. It appears to be a carved relief of a victorian gentleman which I initially thought was plaster, due to the colour and the plaster behind the card on the back. But it got a bit bashed on extraction and it looks to be wood, so I'm now thinking wood carving covered with gesso and paint. I have no idea if it is someone in particuar but looks quite well done. In serious need of a clean and touching up. I'm thinking it is probably 1880s ish?
Any thoughts would be great.
Thanks all
Hamish
Great find! Well, the fashion looks more like a hundred years older. Wig with a pigtail queue, would be much dated already in the 1880's. Like these typical late 1700's wigs: https://www.pinterest.se/pin/90423904994798483/
So at least I would say the relief profile depicts a man from late 1700's. I doesn't need to be that old though, but it's definitely a possibility.
Be very gentle with the cleaning and NO touch up!
Thank you very much for the info, I would never have known that. To my untrained eye it doesn't look old enough for 1700s but I guess it could have been rehoused in a later frame. The card on the back is much more modern also, and the plaster beneath looks very clean. I wasn't sure if that would indicate something more modern or just that it is covered over so retains a 'new' look.
So many questions and no idea how to answer them! Oh and the 'touch up' part I should explain. My wife works in the heritage industry and has looked after various collections in trust properties and also a conservator for Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, and she is also qualified and has previously conducted restoration of artefacts, including a rather rare 17th century Christ statue. So it wouldn't be any old jobsworth doing it!
How it mounts and how it is held (the type of finishing nail used) in America is more typical of after 1900.
Agree with spirit-- I would put this in the early 20th century.
scott
Thanks for the info. Do you think it could have been put into a later frame? Would it be rather unusual for someone to carve a figure of a 18th century gentleman in the 20th century? Just seemed a strange thing to do.
I will look at it over the weekend and try to get more info for you lot
Unless someone made a replica of an existing marble relief by a famous stone carver like James Tassie, e.g. Or made the relief after a painting, mimicking marble.