Peter Scheemakers (1691-1781) British, mid-18th century

private collection, Ireland

The bust has recently been professionally cleaned, revealing the full form of the bust under lichen and dirt. There is a degree of weathering to the surface throughout, consistent with placement outdoors. The nose is restored; this is very well executed, being hardly visible to the naked eye. Otherwise the condition is good, with some wear consistent with age. There is veining to the marble consistent with the material, notably across the drapery around the abdomen and to the proper right shoulder. There are also a few naturally occurring inclusions to the marble, including to the proper left shoulder and the drapery on the proper right side. There are a few chips, including to the high points of the headdress, some of the edges of the drapery, and to the edges of the truncation. There are a few chips and abrasions around the edges of the marble socle. The composite stone column is in good condition, with minor chips and abrasions throughout. There is a fissure to one of the bottom corners of the plinth, and this section may have been reattached. There are a few losses to the edges of the bottom section.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This recently rediscovered bust of the great architect Inigo Jones is an important addition to the autograph oeuvre of the Flemish born 18th-century British sculptor Peter Scheemakers. The model broadly follows that of the celebrated marble at Chatsworth, which was commissioned by Lord Burlington and has been attributed both to Michael Rysbrack and Giovanni Battista Guelfi and follows Van Dyck's painted portrait, but in reverse (Hermitage, St. Petersburg; Jackson-Stops, op. cit., no. 144; Roscoe, op. cit., p. 562). A marble bust of Jones was sold in Scheemakers' post-mortem sale on 11 March 1756, lot 56 (£14 14s.) (Roscoe, 1999, op. cit., p. 262, no. 137); it is possible that this may be identified as the present bust. However, the socle, which takes a similar form to those seen in Scheemaker's busts at Trinity College, Dublin (executed between 1743 and 1749), with integral titular inscription plaque (seven of which are signed P.S.Ft), together with the Irish provenance, indicate that the present bust was probably made for an Irish patron.

RELATED LITERATURE
G. Jackson-Stops, The Treasure Houses of Britain. Five Hundred Years of Private Patronage and Art Collecting, exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, New Haven and London, 1985, pp. 222-223, no. 144; I. Roscoe, 'Peter Scheemakers', The Volume of the Walpole Society, Vol. 61, 1999, p. 262, no. 137; I. Roscoe, A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain 1660-1851, New Haven and Yale, 2009, pp. 562, 1105; M. Baker, 'The making of portrait busts in the mid-eighteenth century: Roubiliac, Scheemakers and Trinity College, Dublin*', The Burlington Magazine, October, 2014, pp. 821-831