Lot 277: Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey (1781-1842): A white marble bust possibly of Lord Charles Grey

wearing a cloak, on a turned socle base, signed SIR.F.CHANTREY and dated S.C.1841, 74cm high, 53cm wide, (187" high, 20.5" wide).

Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey (7 April 1781 – 25 November 1841) was an English sculptor. At fifteen, he was placed with a Mr Ramsey, woodcarver, in Sheffield. In this position he became acquainted with Raphael Smith, a distinguished draughtsman, who gave him lessons in painting. In 1802 Chantrey went to London and worked as an assistant wood-carver, but at the same time devoted himself to portrait-painting, bust-sculpture, and modelling in clay. From 1804 he exhibited pictures at the Royal Academy , but from 1807 onwards he devoted himself to sculpture and received numerous commissions. His model of the head of Satan was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1808 and he subsequently executed four colossal busts of the admirals Duncan, Howe, Vincent and Nelson for Greenwich Hospital. In 1819 he visited Italy, and became acquainted with the most distinguished sculptors of Florence and Rome. He was chosen an associate (1815) and afterwards a member (1818) of the Royal Academy and in 1835 was knighted.

The sitter here closely resembles numerous images of Charles Grey. Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, (13 March 1764 – 17 July 1845), known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A Whig Party member, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the primary architects of the Reform Act 1832.