Artists in approximate chronological order
Thomas Prentice and Robert Sutton
Thomas Prentice and Robert Sutton were based at Chellaston and were responsible for several effigies in the East Midlands area. We are fortunate that one of the contracts has survived - that for Ralph Green at Lowick, Northamptonshire, which was built in 1415.
They are represented here by the monuments to William de Roos and John de Roos, both at Bottesford.
Gerard Johnson (Garrett Janssen)
Born in Amsterdam, Garrett Johnson came to England in about 1567. He settled close to
St Saviour's Church, Southwark and anglicised his name to Gerard Johnson.
He married an English wife, Mary, by whom he had a large family.
In 1591 he was invited to Bottesford where he was commissioned to execute the monuments
to Edward, 3rd Earl of Rutland and
John, 4th Earl of Rutland.
Nicholas Johnson
Nicholas Johnson, son of Gerard, executed the monument to
Roger, 5th Earl of Rutland at Bottesford.
Richard Royley
Royley, from Burton on Trent, seems to have been born Cartwright and took the name
Royley from his stepfather. The earliest extant reference to the Royleys (Gabriel is believed
to have been Richard's son) is in 1571 when they are mentioned as being the makers of tombs.
Ten years later the Royleys built Thomas Fermer's tomb at Somerton, Oxfordshire.
It was perhaps here that Francis Shirley of Breedon became acquainted with the Royleys for he
was one of Fermer's executors. In 1585 the Royleys made the tombs of
John and Francis Shirley
at Breedon.
Royley tombs can be recognised by the pre-Reformation characteristics of extreme stiffness of
pose with the hands held very rigidly in prayer. The figures are distinguished by large
noses, deep eye sockets, bulbous eyes, receding chins, stiffly bent elbows and long weak-kneed
legs. Some hold their heads clear of the cushion or helm.
From about the 1570s men's armour
shows side wings at the knees and the tassets change from one-piece to laminated. Ladies'
skirts, which up to now fell vertical from the hips to the feet, gradually narrow before
flaring out from the ankles. In the 1580s the figures, both the subject and the weepers
(who, incidentally, have short legs), become bulkier and the faces flattened.
The inscription is either on the chamfered edge of the slab, with no
string moulding below the inscription, or in a panel on the wall above the tomb. The tomb-chest
has square sectioned spiral pilasters that are frequently ornamented with a Renaissance motif of
flat relief vases and flowers, the so-called 'French pilasters'.
The weepers are usually
children, in adult dress, supporting shields that are about half the children's height.
Some chests do not have weepers, but carry shields with mottoes around them.
Although there are no other surviving contracts it is possible, from stylistic
reasons, to assign other effigies in the county to the Royleys.
Other examples of their work include
Thomas Babbington at Rothley,
Kenelem Digby at Stoke Dry,
William Humphrey at Swepstone and
Michael Poulteney at Misterton
Garret and Jasper Hollemans
Garret and Jasper Hollemans were established at Burton-on-Trent by 1584.
Their work is represented by the monument to
George and Frances Shirley at Breedon.
Richard Parker
Richard Parker of Burton on Trent was arguably the greatest sculptor of the Burton School.
One of his traits was the making of military weepers on the base of the tomb-chest
facing forward instead of in profile and divided by elaborate pilasters rather than
the until then customary frieze. He died 1571.
Richard Parker's work is represented here by the monuments to
Francis and Catherine Hastings at Ashby de la Zouch,
Thomas, 1st Earl of Rutland at Bottesford,
Thomas Farnham at Stoughton, and
Andrew Noel at Old Dalby.
Epiphanius Evesham
In The Epigrams of P. Virgilas Maro and Others, Englished by J[ohn] P[enkethman], Lover of
Learning (1624) is a reference to 'the most exquisite artist Epiphanius Evesham'. This is the
only known contemporary reference to Evesham, a pupil of Richard Stephens of Southwark, and
concerns the monument to John Owen (died 1622) in old St Paul's. His only known signed work
is at Lynsted, Kent where along the base in large capitals are the words Epiphanius Evesham
fecit.
Epiphanius Evesham is represented here by the monuments to
John Farnham at Quorn,
Francis Staresmore at Frowlesworth and
Frances Staresmore also at Frowlesworth.
Edward and Joshua Marshall 1629–1678
Joshua Marshall (1629–78), the son of Edward Marshall, a statuary and master mason of London,
built up an extensive business and was fully involved with the rebuilding after the Great Fire.
Master Mason to King Charles, Marshall died in 1678 and was buried in the church of
St Dunstan-in-the-West, London.
Edward Marshall's work is represented by the monument to
Matthew Babington at Rothley
Joshua Marshall's work is represented here by the monument to
John Whatton at St Martin's, Leicester.
Gabriel Cibber 1630–1700
A Dane by birth, son of the cabinetmaker to the King of Denmark, Cibber came to England
in the1650s to become one of Nicholas Stone's foremen. After Stone's death, in 1667, Cibber set up
in business for himself executing, to the design of Gibbons, amongst others, the memorials to
the seventh and
eighth Earls of Rutland at Bottesford. His second wife, Jane Colley, a
Rutland heiress whom he must have met while at Bottesford, and who brought him a dowry of
£6,000, was the mother of Colley Cibber.
William Stanton 1639–1705
William Stanton served his apprenticeship under his uncle Thomas. He was made
free of the Mason's Company in 1663, serving as master in 1688 and 1689. Included amongst
his numerous monuments, a full list of which was recorded by de Neve in his Monumenta Anglicana (1717–19), is that to James Noel at Exton.
Grinling Gibbons 1648–1721
Grinling Gibbons was born in Rotterdam of English parents and came to England when he was nineteen. As a nationally renowned wood carver Gibbons worked on several of Wren's City churches as well as Canterbury Cathedral where he built the cathedral. Master Carver in Wood to the Crown from the time of Charles II to George I, his work in marble gave him further distinction.
Grinling Gibbons is represented here by the monuments to George Manners, 7th Earl of Rutland at Bottesford, John, 8th Earl of Rutland, also at Bottesford and Baptist Noel at Exton.
Francis Bird 1667–1731
Francis Bird, who was born in Piccadilly, studied art under Cozins in Brussels, Le Gros in Rome and Grinling Gibbons in London. Bird's aim was pure portraiture, and his work differed from that of his contemporaries in that it was devoid of the emblems of mortality that were characteristic of 17th century work.
This may have been why his work was not too well received, Pope going as far as to give his creations the uncomplimentary title 'The Bathos of Sculpture'.
In the winter of 1729 Bird slipped on some ice near his Lincoln Inn Fields home, an accident that caused him to remain lame until his death two years later.
Francis Bird is represented here by the monument to William Villiers at Brooksby.
William Kent 1684–1748
William Kent was a man of many skills; he was a painter, sculptor, architect and landscape
gardener. Included amongst his work are the Shakespeare memorial in Westminster Abbey,
Kensington Palace and Horse Guards. He designed the Ashby de la Zouch monument just before
he died and the work was executed by Joseph Pickford and John Michael Rysbrack.
William Kent's work is represented here by the monument to Selina Hastings at Ashby de la Zouch.
John Michael Rysbrack 1694–1770
Believed to have been born in Antwerp, Rysbrack studied in that city
under Theodore Balant before coming to England in 1720. He first gained a reputation for moulding
small figures in clay as well as portrait busts. Honoured by Queen Caroline, who visited his
studio in 1733, he did much work for Kent including the monuments to Isaac Newton and Mrs Oldfield
in Westminster Abbey. Rysbrack retired in 1765 and died five years later, being buried
in Marylebone churchyard.
Examples of Rysbrack's work include
Selina Hastings at Ashby de la Zouch,
Bennet Sherard at Stapleford and
Gilbert Heathcote at Edith Weston.
Richard Haywood 1728–1800
Richard Haywood was born in Balkington, Warwickshire. as well as the signed monument to
Sloughter Clarke at Theddingworth
his works are also to be seen in Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral.
He also executed the statue of Lord Botetourt at Williamsburg, Virginia. Built
in 1773, this is the oldest public statue in North America still standing.
Joseph Nollekens 1737–1823
Born in Soho, Joseph Nollekens was apprenticed to the sculptor Peter Scheemaker,
a native of Antwerp who had a studio in Piccadilly. In 1759 he received the first of several
prizes from the Society of Arts when he was awarded fifteen guineas for a model in clay of
figures.
In 1760 he went to Rome, where he met the actor David Garrick who commissioned Nollekens
to sculpt his bust, for which he was paid twelve guineas in gold.
While in Rome he 'restored' many fragments of antiques by adding missing heads and limbs
which he stained with tobacco water
before selling them for impressive sums of money.
In 1770 he returned to England, bringing with him the casts of the busts he had made while
in Rome.
It is said that he filled the hollow casts with silk and lace that he then smuggled
through customs.
Nolleken was a small man, who was nicknamed 'Little Nolly'. He had his studio in London's
prestigious Mortimer Street and many tales were told of his parsimony such as him siting in the
dark to save candles and feeding his dogs by taking them for walks round the shambles.
On his death he left a fortune of over £200,000.
Joseph Nollekens' work is represented here by the monuments to
Baptist and Elizabeth Noel
and Bennett Noel both at at Exton.
Francis Chantrey 1781–1842
Francis Chantrey was born in Norton, Derbyshire. After being first employed by a grocer,
he was apprenticed to Mr Ramsay, a carver in Sheffield. In 1802 he moved to London
where, after establishing himself as a portrait painter, he devoted himself entirely to
sculpture.
He was greatly influence by Canova, and in 1809 had six busts in the Royal Academy
Exhibition. He became a full member of that institution in 1818. His work sold well and in
1822 he received three hundred guineas for a bust of George IV. A man of rough manners and
strong language he was buried in his native village in a tomb prepared by himself.
Francis Chantrey is represented here by the monument to
Charlotte Finch at Burley
Joseph Gott 1785–1860
Born at Calverley near Leeds, Joseph Gott studied at the Royal Academy where he won
a silver medal in 1806 and a gold medal in 1807. A man whose work was derived from mainly
classically derived subjects, in later life he moved to Rome where he died.
Joseph Gott's His work is represented here by the monument to Edward Cheney at Gaddesby.
Joseph Pickford 1734–82
Joseph Pickford was an architect and builder of Derby who is mainly remembered for
his buildings rather than monuments. he was employed by Joseph Wedgewood for whom he
designed the Etruria works at Burslem, Staffordshire. he is represented here by the
monument to Selina Hastings at Ashby de la Zouch.
Richard Westmacott 1799–1872
In 1820 Richard Westmacott went to Italy, returning to London six years later.
From 1857 to 1869 he was Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy. His work includes the
Royal Exchange pediment, London, and the monument to Robert Otway Cave, one-time MP for
Leicester, in the church of St Nicholas, Stanford, Northamptonshire.
Westmacott is represented here by the busts to
Charles Packe and
Marianna Packe at Prestwold
William Theed 1804–91
William Theed was born at Trentham, Staffordshire and started his professional life
as an assistant to Edward Hodges Baily. In 1826 he went to Rome to study under Thorwaldsen,
returning to London in 1848. Theed's work include the bronze reliefs representing scenes from
Tudor history, and the statues to George IV and William VI in the Houses of Parliament. He also
made a statue of Prince Albert, represented as an Anglo-Saxon, for Queen Victoria as well as
helping on the monument to Victoria and Albert in Frogmore.
William Theed is represented here by George Hussey Packe at
Prestwold.
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