Sir George Savile, Bart (1726-1784), Whig Politician

Currently, this record does not have an online image. This may be because the work is still in copyright or a digital image has yet to be created. There is an ongoing programme to add images to the catalogue but please contact the Museum's Image Library in the meantime if you wish to order an image.

Title/s

Sir George Savile, Bart (1726-1784), Whig Politician

Maker/s

Nollekens, Joseph (sculptor) [ULAN info: British sculptor, 1737-1823]

Category

sculpture

Name

bust

Description

Bust. White marble. The sitter is turned to the front, facing and looking a quarter to the right, the head inclined slightly forward. He is bare-headed. His hair is taken back from the forehead and falls in thick curls behind. He is clean-shaven. His throat is bare; his shoulders and bust are covered by drapery.

Production Notes

This is a posthumous bust, taken from a death mask. Six busts were made of which four are known.

Production Place

London? (place)

England (sculptor) (country)

Technique Description

white marble

Dimensions

height: (bust): 23 1/4 in
height: (plinth): 6 1/4 in

Period

18th century

Date

circa 1784 to 1823

Provenance

given: Lord Fairhaven 1947 (Filtered for: Applied Arts collection)

Earls of Mexborough (presumably acquired by John Savile, 2nd Earl of Mexborough (1761-1830) who succeeded his father in 1778) bought by Messrs Leonard Partridge, London, 1945; bought by the first Lord Fairhaven by whom given to the Fitzwilliam Museum

Given by Lord Fairhaven

Inscriptions/Marks

1. 
   Position: at the back
   Method: inscribed
   Content: Nollekens/Ft
   

Documentation

1. Smith, John Thomas (1895) Nollekens and His Times, London?
   [comments: Publ. Mentioned in the list of busts in chapter XVII]
2. Molesworth, Hender Delves (1951) Sculpture in England, Renaissance to Early XIX Century, London? [page: p. 16]
   [comments: Publ. Illustrated, pl. XL and p. 16]
3. Goodison, J.W. (1955) Catalogue of Cambridge Portraits I The University Collection, Cambridge (Cambs.): Cambridge University Press [page: p. 84]
   [comments: Publ. p. 84, no. 117, plate XX]
4. (1992) Daniel Katz Ltd 1968-1993, A Catalogue Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Dealing in European Sculpture and Works of Art, London? [page: pp. 44-5]
   [comments: Publ. Illustrated, pp. 44-45. Provides useful summary of information about the busts of Savile.]
5. von la Roche, Sophie (1933) Sophie in London 1786, London? [page: pp. 233-4]
   [comments: Ref. pp. 233-4, under Sept. 27. Mentions over six busts in Nollekens' studio, and that Nollekens had taken a death mask of Savile.]
6. Christie's (1988) Important European Sculpture and Works of Art, 6th December 1988, London?6th December 1988)
   [comments: Cf. Another marble, lot 134. Est. £4,000-6,000. See xerox in object's file.]
7. Bilbey, Diane (2002) British Sculpture 1470 to 2000, A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London: V. & A. Publications [page: 97-8]
   [comments: Cf.p. 97-8, no. 132, aAn example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, (A.16-1942), which is identified as 'Sir George Savile/1784.' The Fitzwilliam's bust, which differs in having blank eyeballs, is mentioned on p. 98.]

Other Notes

Sir George Savile, a member of an ancient Yorkshire family, was MP for the county between 1759 and 1783, and introduced the Catholic Relief Act in 1778.

Accession Number

M.19-1947 (Applied Arts)
(Reference Number: 31014; Input Date: 2001-06-25 / Last Edit: 2011-07-22)