{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O164285"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O164285/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KE1687/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KE1687/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017KE1687","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O164285/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O164285","accessionNumber":"1149-1882","objectType":"Bust","titles":[{"title":"Grazia","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This white marble bust of a female head, inscribed 'Grazia, Puella Capuensis [Grazia the girl from Capua], is made by John Gibson in 1843.\nAn article in the Cornhill Magazine entitled 'Recollections of Gibson the sculptor', recorded: \nHis most beautiful model, Grazia, was the frequent subject of his conversation. Her sordid avarice, her fierce chastity, her furious temper, were studies to him; and the contract with her moral nature presented to her beauty, was graphically described...An English lady who had often heard of Grazia's marvellous beauty, asked permission to see her as she was sitting for her bust to Gibson. The lady looked at her and said she was handsome, but that her expression was bad. \"She looks as if she had a vile temper\". Grazia did not understand the words, but she read from the expression that it was something unfavourable. She started up. \"Signor Giovanni, that woman has insulted me, I know. What did she say? Tell her I am a Roman, and that she is a miserable foreigner. Tell me what she said, or I will go and never return.\" \"She said you were very beautiful, Grazia\". \"What else?\" \"What else could she say?\" Grazia believed in him implicitly wand was satisfied. He said she was quite capable of personally maltreating the lady if he had said the truth'. [Cornhill Magazine 1868, p. 545].\n\nGibson (1790-1866) was apprenticed to Messrs Franceys, the Liverpool firm of statuaries and later removed to Rome where he received instruction from Canova and Thorwaldsen. Elected A.R.A in 1833 and RA in 1838. He became the leading English sculptor of his generation working in the neo-classical style and was famous for such works as the Tinted Venus, Pandora, Mars and Cupid and Psyche and Zephers. He also executed public statues and busts. He bequeathed his property on his death to the Royal Academy.\n\n","physicalDescription":"A female head, inscribed and signed.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Gibson, John","id":"A6105"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"white marble","id":"AAT11571"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"White marble","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2017KE1687"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES383914"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"bust","id":"AAT47457"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1843","earliest":"1843-01-01","latest":"1843-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by John Jones","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"61","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'GRAZIA / PVELLA CAPVENSIS / 1843'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"'Grazia the girl from Capua'","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"at the front"},{"content":"'I.GIBSON.FT.ROMÆ'","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 the back truncation"}],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed by John Jones in 1882.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bust, white marble, of a female head, 'Grazia', by John Gibson, English, made in Rome, 1843","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1882.</u> London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1883. pp. 110"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Catalogue of the Jones Bequest</u> 1924, II, No. 397"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Matthews, T., <u>The Biography of John Gibson</u>, Heineman, 1911, pp. 205-11"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie. <u>British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.</u>  London: V& A Publications, 2002, p. 273, cat. no. 417"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Cornhill Magazine</u> 1868, pp. 545"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lady Eastlake ed., <u>Life of John Gibson, R.A.</u>, London, 1870, pp. 207, 210"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Gunnis, R., <u>Dictionary of British Sculpture 1660-1851</u>, London, 1968, p. 173"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Sutton, D., 'A Born Virtuoso', in: <u>Apollo</u>, March 1972, XCV, pp. 158, 159"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"female head","id":"x40927"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1149-1882"],"accessionNumberNum":"1149","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1882,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-07-23","recordCreationDate":"2008-07-25","availableToBook":false}}