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Title:
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Lord John Russell
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Artist: |
Baron Carlo Marochetti
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Lord John Russell, as he was known before 1861, when he became Earl Russell, was the fifth son of the Duke of Bedford, and a prominent Whig politician. He was twice prime minister, from 1846 to 1852, and from 1865 to 1866. In between these two periods in office, he was briefly Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under the Earl of Aberdeen, and again for a longer tenure between 1859 and 1865. Particularly relevant in relation to this bust, is the fact that Russell was the British government's most ardent promoter of Italian Unification. The diary of Princess Mary of Cambridge records meeting Lord and Lady Russell on a visit to Marochetti's studio, while she was sitting for her portrait in 1856, when a marriage between her and the widowed King of Sardinia, Vittorio Emanuele, was thought a desirable match from a diplomatic point of view. (see the entry on the bust of Princess Mary, in the Royal Collection) This was a period when Russell had temporarily retired from politics, and when he too might have had sufficient leisure time to sit for his bust. The bust which is dated 1858 was exhibited in the Royal Academy of that year. The Illustrated London News approved the likeness. "A true portrait is that of Lord John Russell by Baron Marochetti. The noble ex-Premier has the peculiar thoughtful expression, lit up with a faint but intelligent smile, which at once identifies him amongst a million. He is represented dressed in ordinary coat, waistcoat and cravat, which is treated with ease, so as to avoid stiffness" (ILN, 15 May 1858, p.500). Many other newspapers described the bust as "strikingly true", but the London Daily News (28 May 1858, p.2) found it "a mere literal resemblance". The bust was acquired from Mrs Gilbert Russell by the Clarendon Gallery in the 1980s, and in 1986 sold by them to the Government Art Collection, where it is now Acc. No.16477. Photo: Art UK
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Material(s): |
Marble
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Medium: |
Unassigned |
Finish: |
- |
Technique: |
Carved |
Genre: |
Portrait Bust
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Location: |
Governmeny Art Collection, , ,
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Colours: |
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Year: |
1858 |
Height: |
0.72 metres |
Width: |
0 metres |
Depth: |
0 metres |
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Key: |
5861 |
Acc. No.: |
5861 |
Col. No.: |
5861 |
Number of views: |
2555 |
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