Jump to content

Richard Westmacott (the younger)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Richard Westmacott Jr. (1799-1872)

Richard Westmacott (the younger) RA (14 April 1799 – 19 April 1872) – also sometimes described as Richard Westmacott III (to distinguish him from his father and grandfather – both sculptors bearing the same name) – was a prominent English sculptor of the early and mid-19th century.

Life

[edit]
Royal Exchange, pediment by Richard Westmacott

Born in London, he was the son of Sir Richard Westmacott (1775–1856), and followed closely in his father's footsteps: studying at the Royal Academy (from 1818), being elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy (in 1838) and a full Academician (in 1849), and then succeeding his father to serve as the RA's professor of sculpture (1857–68) – the only time an RA professorship passed from father to son.

Among his most notable works is the pediment of the Royal Exchange in the City of London. Other works include:

Westmacott was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May 1837, his candidacy citation saying that he was "Richard Westmacott Junr Esqr of 21 Wilton Place Belgrave Square, Sculptor, Author of the Article "Sculpture" in the Encyclopædia Metropolitana, and of various Essays and Articles on Art, and Antiquity, a gentleman devoted to Science in general, and the fine Arts in particular" [3]

He is commemorated by a memorial in St Mary Abbots church in Kensington, west London.

Works

[edit]
Monument by Richard Westmacott III for Sampson Salter Blowers, St. Paul's Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia

public works by Westmacott include[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Rupert Gunnis (1951). Dictionary of British Sculptors, 1660–1851. The Abbey Library.
  2. ^ Harris, V, The Church of St Paul, Halifax, Nova Scotia 1749-1949 (Toronto: 1949)
  3. ^ "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. Retrieved 30 October 2005.
  4. ^ a b Aileen Dawson (1999). Portrait Sculpture A Catalogue of the British Museum collection c. 1675-1975. British Museum Press. ISBN 0714105988.
[edit]