François-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire (1694-1778): C.14-1947

Titles

François-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire (1694-1778)

Maker(s)

Factory: Member of the Wood family

Entities

• Bust
• Pearlware

Categories

• Lead-glazed earthenware
• Pearlware

Description

Lead-glazed earthenware painted in enamels\par

White earthenware with slightly blue tinted glaze, painted in turquoise, flesh-pink, pink, red, dark maroon, and black enamels. The bust is supported on a rectangular socle with a dark maroon line running round its upper and lower edges. The sitter faces front with his head turned a quarter to his right. He wears a long curling wig, a turquoise blue coat over a red waistcoat and a pale lilac, ermine-lined cloak over his left shoulder, draping across his body at front and back; the socle has a red-brown line round its upper and lower edges \par

Notes

History note: Unknown before donor

Legal notes

Given by L.C.G. Clarke, MA

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1947-11) by Clarke, Louis Colville Gray

Dating

18th Century, Late
George III
Circa 1785 CE - 1790 CE

Note

Voltaire was a French writer, historian and philosopher, who was a leading figure in the intellectual movement known as The Enlightenment. This model does not conform to well-known busts of Voltaire by sculptors such as Lemoyne, Houdon and Rosset. It was probably derived from a bust modelled by Paul-Louis Cyfflé (1724-1806) and made in terre de Lorraine by the Luneville factory in France (an example is in the V. & A., London, inv. no. C.685-1909). It was probably produced by a member of the Wood family, possibly Enoch Wood.