I have been gently taken to task by Mark Fisher for not knowing as much as I should about Richard Westmacott who was, of course, not just a major authority on ancient sculpture and advisor to the British Museum, but also a major neoclassical sculptor in his own right. It’s true. He was everywhere, designing church monuments, commissioned by the Committee of Taste, producing commemorative statues of Nelson, a huge statue of Achilles in Hyde Park, a statue of George III as Marcus Aurelius, the Duke of York in Waterloo Place, the Waterloo Vase, and, as Mark points out, the pediment sculpture of the British Museum on the progress of mankind to Civilisation. But does this make him the neoclassical sculptor ? Certainly a major one.
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Not “taken to task” ! You know that I am a huge fan, and admirer, of The Blog, and learn something every week, viz Angelica Kauffman, other than her paintings.
You were quite right, I freely confess, and I’m pleased to have learned more about Westmacott. Charles
And you are just – THE neo-classical sculptor is rather overdoing it, but as you say, a major one !
I sat next to H.E. Sir Peter Westmacott, British Ambassador to the United States, at dinner tonight. I noticed that he had slightly large hands, so ventured to ask whether he was related to the sculptor, Richard Westmacott. He was delighted to confirm that he was the great great great (great) grandson of both Richard Westmacotts – father and son were both called Richard and both were sculptors.
Ah, that explains why there is an unusual amount of traffic round that post. Charles