{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1171467"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1171467/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EF7086/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EF7086/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EF7086","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HG2525","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1171467/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1171467","accessionNumber":"E.460:1-2010","objectType":"Design","titles":[{"title":"A Study for the Monument of Oliver Goldsmith in Westminster Abbey","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This design made in 1774 by Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823) depicts the profile of the Irish-born author and playwright, Oliver Goldsmith  (1728-1774). His portrait  is resting on a sarcophagus, a coffin made of stone, on which there are masks of tragedy and comedy befitting to his life's work and a trumpet symbolising fame. The design is for a wall monument commemorating him. Nollekens is best known as the leading portrait sculptor in Britain between 1770 and 1815. With his fellow Royal Academicians Thomas Banks and John Flaxman he established the British School of sculpture following decades of dependence on immigrant sculptors (such as Rysbrack, Scheemakers and Roubiliac). Flaxman praised Nollekens as the only sculptor before Banks who had \"formed his taste on the antique and introduced a purer style of art\". Opportunities to study the antique were plentiful whilst Nollekens lived for eight years from 1762-1770 in Rome. As a draughtsman he was exceptionally well trained for his day.","physicalDescription":"Design depicting the portrait of a man in profile contained in a roundel of laurel leaves resting on a sarcophagus on which there are masks. There is a pencil sketch on the verso.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Nollekens, Joseph","id":"A8699"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"chalk","id":"AAT11727"},{"text":"laid paper","id":"AAT14184"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and brown ink over traces of  black chalk on laid paper","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2010EF7086","2014HG2525"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"A","shelf":"190","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"designs","id":"AAT102051"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1774","earliest":"1774-01-01","latest":"1774-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.4406-1920","id":"O820247"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"19.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'80.7.23'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"In pencil at bottom of inside mount. Sackler no."},{"content":"' 'The Property of Mrs. M. Hill / Joseph Nollekens / 271/ [title].  His portrait is contained in a roundel [...] on which there are masks of tragedy and comedy and a  trumpet / A Study for another Monument on the verso.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On printed label on inside of mount."},{"content":"'Thursday 27 March 69. Sotherbies'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Historical significance: 'Nollekens is best known as the leading portrait sculptor in Britain between 1770 and 1815, and as the subject of the biography Nollekens and his Times (1828) by J.T. Smith. With his fellow Royal Academicians Thomas Banks and John Flaxman he established the British School of sculpture following decades of dependence on immigrant sculptors (such as Rysbrack, Scheemakers and Roubiliac). Flaxman praised Nollekens as the only sculptor before Banks who had \"formed his taste on the antique and introduced a purer style of art\". As a draughtsman he was exceptionally well trained for his day. He is also noted as a collector; he owned the three wax reliefs by Giambologna now in the V&A. The V&A's collection includes three busts by Nollekens, five of his terracottas, his marble copy after the antique, Castor and Pollux (1767)and his original marble of Diana (1778).'\r\n\r\nJulius Bryant on RF 2010/245.","historicalContext":"In the ca. 2009 edition of Gunnis's <i>Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain</i>, design is identified as 'Sackler priv. col.'","briefDescription":"Design for sculpture by Joseph Nollekens, 1774.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Roscoe, Ingrid, Hardy, Emma, Sullivan, M. G. <u>A biographical dictionary of sculptors in England, 1660-1851.</u> New Haven [Conn.]; London: Yale University Press, c.2009. pp.896-911."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Design","id":"THES48872"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Goldsmith, Oliver","id":"N1396"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"sepulchral monuments","id":"AAT5909"},{"text":"sarcophagus","id":"x42809"},{"text":"actors","id":"AAT25658"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.460:1-2010"],"accessionNumberNum":"460","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2010,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-07","recordCreationDate":"2010-08-23","availableToBook":false}}