Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston

Plaque
1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is an ivory plaque made by Richard Cockle Lucas Lucas in the 19th century in England. The plaque is carved in high relief and represents the head of Lord Palmerston, statesman and prime minister (1784-1865).

Richard Cockle Lucas (1800-1883) is mainly known as a sculptor in wax and ivory, but he also worked in glass, marble and bronze, as well as being a painter. Lucas began his career as a sculptor as an apprentice to his uncle, who worked as a cutler in Winchester, carving knife handles. He joined the Royal Academy Schools in 1828 and studied under Richard Westmacott. Lucas made two models of the Parthenon, in its original state and after the explosion of 1687, which were acquired by the British Museum. He is best known for his small scale works including wax sculptures and ivory carvings. Lucas was at the centre of a controversy about the bust of Flora in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin. The bust was thought to be an authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci but the sculptor's son Albert Dürer Lucas claimed in the Burlington Magazine that the bust was modelled by his father. It is now generally thought that the bust is probably by Leonardo or his circle but was repaired by Lucas. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1829 and 1859 and showed ivory carvings and imitation bronzes at the Great Exhibition in 1851.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHenry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory carved in high relief
Brief description
Plaque, ivory, head of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, by Richard Cockle Lucas, English, 19th century
Physical description
Ivory plaque, elliptical, in high relief with the bearded head of Lord Palmerston, facing three- quarters to his left. Inscribed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 6.8cm
  • Width: 4.76cm
Marks and inscriptions
'PALMERSTON 1850'
Object history
Given by Richard Cockle Lucas in 1865, through Lord Palmerston, one of 33 works by Lucas received by Richard Redgrave on behalf of the Museum on 17 June 1865.
Subject depicted
Summary
This is an ivory plaque made by Richard Cockle Lucas Lucas in the 19th century in England. The plaque is carved in high relief and represents the head of Lord Palmerston, statesman and prime minister (1784-1865).

Richard Cockle Lucas (1800-1883) is mainly known as a sculptor in wax and ivory, but he also worked in glass, marble and bronze, as well as being a painter. Lucas began his career as a sculptor as an apprentice to his uncle, who worked as a cutler in Winchester, carving knife handles. He joined the Royal Academy Schools in 1828 and studied under Richard Westmacott. Lucas made two models of the Parthenon, in its original state and after the explosion of 1687, which were acquired by the British Museum. He is best known for his small scale works including wax sculptures and ivory carvings. Lucas was at the centre of a controversy about the bust of Flora in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin. The bust was thought to be an authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci but the sculptor's son Albert Dürer Lucas claimed in the Burlington Magazine that the bust was modelled by his father. It is now generally thought that the bust is probably by Leonardo or his circle but was repaired by Lucas. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1829 and 1859 and showed ivory carvings and imitation bronzes at the Great Exhibition in 1851.
Bibliographic references
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1927-1929, Part II, p. 125
  • Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1865. Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1. London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 33
  • Roscoe, I., with Sullivan, M.G. and Hardy, E., A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain, 1660 to 1851, New Haven, 2009, p. 764
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 165
Collection
Accession number
201-1865

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Record createdApril 8, 2008
Record URL
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