John Henning, 1771 - 1851. Sculptor [f]
About this artwork
The son of a Paisley carpenter and architect, Henning began modelling portraits in wax after seeing an exhibition of wax figures in his home town. His portrait medallions became very popular and he obtained a wide range of sitters, including Sir Walter Scott, James Watt and Princess Charlotte, daughter of George IV. In 1812 he visited London to see the newly arrived Elgin marbles. Intending to stay only two weeks, he spent the next twelve years drawing and making models of the Parthenon friezes, encouraged by Princess Charlotte. Assisted by his son John, Henning carved replica friezes for the decoration of buildings such as the Athenaeum in Pall Mall, London. Unfortunately, his smaller replicas in plaster were unprotected by copyright and were heavily pirated.
Updated before 2020
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artists:
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title:John Henning, 1771 - 1851. Sculptor [f]
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date created:1843 - 1847
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materials:Salted paper print
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measurements:22.60 x 17.40 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Gift of Mrs. Riddell in memory of Peter Fletcher Riddell, 1985
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accession number:PGP R 169.16
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gallery:
David Octavius Hill
David Octavius Hill
A painter and a lithographer by training, David Octavius Hill is best remembered for the beauty of the calotypes he and Robert Adamson produced together. Hill was a sociable and kind-hearted man who did much to support the arts in Scotland and between 1830 and 1836 he was the unpaid Secretary of...