European Decorative Arts and Sculpture Bust of Admiral Edward Pellew, later First Viscount Exmouth (1757 - 1833) Made in Denmark, Europe1814?-16 Bertel Thorvaldsen, Danish (active Rome and Copenhagen) 1770 - 1844 Marble * Gallery 293, European Art 1500-1850, second floor 1996-67-1 Gift (by exchange) of Radcliffe Cheston, Jr., 1996 |
LabelCommander of the British fleet in the Mediterranean, Admiral Pellew became celebrated throughout Europe in 1816 when he attacked the North African city of Algiers, forcing the ruler there to release a large number of Christians held as slaves. The sculptor has adopted the ancient, square-based form of bust, and included such features as battle scars and a hereditary divot from Pellew’s right ear, thereby combining physiognomic accuracy with a style associated with famous figures from the distant past. Pellew may have been the first of many prominent Britons to sit for Thorvaldsen on their visits to Rome.* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. |
