{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117026"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117026/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC2288/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC2288/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AC2288","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O117026/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117026","accessionNumber":"1791-1892","objectType":"Bust","titles":[{"title":"Herbert Spencer","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This bust is made my Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm in 1884. It is a plaster model for a bust of the philosopher Herbert Spencer. The original wax model is also in the Museum's collection (1793-1892). Spencer was a prominent classical liberal political theorist and sociological theorist of the Victorian era. He developed an all-embracing conception of evolution and published his Principles of Biology in 1864 after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origins of the Species.\n\nBoehm (1834-1890) was an English sculptor and medallist born in Austrian, as the youngest son of Joseph Daniel Boehm (1794–1865), a court medallist and director of the Imperial Mint at Vienna. From 1848 to 1851 Joseph Edgar attended Leigh’s art academy (later Heatherley’s) in London and drew the Parthenon marbles in the British Museum. On his return to Vienna he enrolled at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste. Around 1858–9 he visited Italy, where he developed a lasting admiration for early Renaissance sculpture. From 1859 to 1862 he worked in Paris and was influenced by the work of Paul Gayrard (1807–1855). Boehm settled in London in 1862 where he befriended John Leech and John Everett Millais, both of whom he portrayed in statuettes in 1863. A statuette of William Makepeace Thackeray (1864) led to an edition of 70 plaster casts. Boehm frequently worked in terracotta, a material common in French sculpture but less familiar in English. Queen Victoria’s admiration of Boehm’s statuettes led to an association with the royal family that lasted from 1869 until his death. Most of Boehm’s works are portrait busts. Boehm was immensely prolific: some 360 different works are documented. He was a highly consistent sculptor, rarely deviating from his brand of realism. He was modest about his immense popularity and aware of his imaginative shortcomings (cit.: M. Stocker: 'Boehm, Joseph Edgar').","physicalDescription":"Plaster model, bust of Herbery Spencer, Esq. By J.E Boehm. Signed and dated.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Joseph Edgar Boehm","id":"N4599"},"association":{"text":"sculptor","id":"x43862"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plaster","id":"AAT14922"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Plaster","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AC2288"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES340845"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bust","id":"AAT47457"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1884","earliest":"1884-01-01","latest":"1884-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Boehm Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"72","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"50","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"30","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"18","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'J . E . BOEHM . 84'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signed and dated to the right of the truncation. "}],"objectHistory":"Given by the executors of the late Sir J.E. Boehm, Bart., R.A. in 1892. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bust, plaster model, of Herbert Spencer, by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, England, 1884","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1892. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices.</u> London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1893, p. 224"},{"reference":{"text":"Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie, British Sculpture 1470-2000: A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 2002","id":"AUTH401363"},"details":"p. 210, cat. no. 307","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Stocker, M., Royalist and Realist: The Life and Work of Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm. New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1988.","id":"AUTH403171"},"details":"p. 416, no. 274A","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Spencer, Herbert","id":"N7791"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1791-1892"],"accessionNumberNum":"1791","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1892,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-13","recordCreationDate":"2005-09-26","availableToBook":true}}