BY WILLIAM THEED, DATED 1848

William Theed, the Younger (d.1891) was born in Staffordshire, the son of Wedgwood designer William Theed, the Elder (d.1817). As a young man he studied in Naples, where he produced several busts for exhibition at the Royal Academy 1824-1885. On his return to England, Theed received many high profile commissions, including public statuary and, in 1861, a Royal commission for the death mask of the Prince Consort. In the 1850s, Theed executed a series of Classical-style busts with pedestals for Buckingham Palace. Along with the Royal Academy exhibitions, Theed had entries at the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition in 1851 and at the British Institution in 1852 and 1853.