Benjamin Gibson, 1811–1851, British, active in Italy
Title:
Portrait Bust of the Artist's Brother, the Sculptor John Gibson, R.A.
Date:
1837 to 1838
Materials & Techniques:
Carrara marble
Dimensions:
Overall: 24 7/8 x 13 x 10 1/4 inches (63.2 x 33 x 26 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B2005.6
Gallery Label:
During a long period of residence in Rome beginning in 1817, and somewhat delayed by the Napoleonic Wars, the Welsh-speaking sculptor John Gibson (1790-1866) was much influenced by his exposure to the neoclassical masters Antonio Canova (1757-1822) and the younger Dane Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). This bust is the only surviving portrait of Gibson that employs the visual language of his own style-a style formed out of theirs. It is a rarity, one of a relatively small number of works by Gibson's youngest brother, Benjamin, with whom for a time he spent his summer holidays at Innsbruck in Austria. Benjamin was in fact the pupil of their middle brother, Solomon (1796/97-1866), and died in 1851 at the age of forty-six. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2005
