Sir H. C. Englefield, Bart.
Francis Leggatt Chantrey1818
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
To modern eyes, a bare-chested portrait of a man in his mid-60s might seem undignified. However, it was fashionable for gentlemen of Englefield’s generation to be portrayed in this manner, deliberately referencing the antique sculptures of Roman statesmen they admired. As a Catholic, Englefield was barred from taking part in politics in England; however, he was a member of several clubs devoted to the amateur study of art, science, and history. Among these were the Society of Dilettanti, which championed the works of antiquity and promoted the creation of modern art in the same spirit—like this marble bust by celebrated sculptor Francis Legatt Chantrey.
- Title: Sir H. C. Englefield, Bart.
- Creator: Francis Legatt Chantrey (British, 1781–1841)
- Date Created: 1818
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 55.3 x 35.1 x 26.7 cm (21 3/4 x 13 13/16 x 10 1/2 in.)
- Provenance: (Michael Hall Fine Arts, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Sculpture
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1978.22
- Medium: marble
- Inscriptions: inscribed left side: Chantrey/Sculptor/1818; rear: Sir H. C. Englefield, Bart.
- Fun Fact: Initially, Chantrey tried to establish himself as a portrait painter. After 1805, he painted only on occasion and from 1811–20, he became the leading portrait sculptor in Regency Era Great Britain.
- Department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture
- Culture: England, 19th century
- Credit Line: Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
- Collection: Mod Euro - Sculpture 1800-1960
- Accession Number: 1978.22
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