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Lot Essay
The collection of 19th century neo-classical marble statuary from Nidd Hall was mostly commissioned by Benjamin Rawson who purchased the property in 1823 with the aim of completing a considerable restoration project.
After the death of Rawson, in 1844, Nidd Hall became the property of his daughter, Elizabeth. When she died in 1899 the estate was inherited by her great nephew, Henry Edmund, 14th Viscount Mountgarret. It then remained in the Mountgarret family for the following ninety years, after which, Guy Reed, a Yorkshire businessman, purchased it to accommodate his stable of first class racehorses.
The two most important sculptures, and seemingly the first to be sold from the collection, were Gott's 1860 group of Ulysses and his Dog and Theed's 1851 model of The Prodigal Son (both sold in Christie's, London, 15th November 1984, lots 343 and 344). The emergence of the Gott group brought to light a core of that artist's work that had, apparently, not been seen until the sale of 1987. This collection wonderfully demonstrated his ability to deal with ranging sizes of groups and a variety of secular and mythological subjects.
By far the most charming examples from this corpus are his scenes featuring domestic pets and children. The lot being offered here, of a young boy clothed in a richly draped tunic, and teasing his dog with a ball, is an excellent example from this corpus that perfectly demonstrates his training in the neo-classical tradition. In comparison to other groups form the Rawson collection, it displays a consistent attention to style, seen in the physiognomy of the face and the 'classical' rendition of the drapery, and in the overall composition through the delicate interaction between the subjects of the group. Consider, for example, the connection between Ulysses and his dog in the group mentioned above, or the Spaniel playing with a Kitten and the group of Ino teaching Bacchus to Dance (Christie's, London, 24 September 1987, lots 180 and 182, and Leeds, op. cit., nos. 58 and G37). In all instances, as with the present lot, Gott not only conceived accomplished neo-classical compositions, but also a vision of the idyllic English family home. One can imagine Rawson wishing to reflect familial ideas through the choice of subjects that reflected the attitudes, pass-times and moral framework of the time. Therefore, Nidd Hall did not merely exhibit neo-classical images, but it presented instructive images of the master with his dog, a light-hearted look at the recreation of the family pets, the children's instruction in dancing and last, but certainly not least, a snapshot of a child's respite playing with his favourite dog.
After the death of Rawson, in 1844, Nidd Hall became the property of his daughter, Elizabeth. When she died in 1899 the estate was inherited by her great nephew, Henry Edmund, 14th Viscount Mountgarret. It then remained in the Mountgarret family for the following ninety years, after which, Guy Reed, a Yorkshire businessman, purchased it to accommodate his stable of first class racehorses.
The two most important sculptures, and seemingly the first to be sold from the collection, were Gott's 1860 group of Ulysses and his Dog and Theed's 1851 model of The Prodigal Son (both sold in Christie's, London, 15th November 1984, lots 343 and 344). The emergence of the Gott group brought to light a core of that artist's work that had, apparently, not been seen until the sale of 1987. This collection wonderfully demonstrated his ability to deal with ranging sizes of groups and a variety of secular and mythological subjects.
By far the most charming examples from this corpus are his scenes featuring domestic pets and children. The lot being offered here, of a young boy clothed in a richly draped tunic, and teasing his dog with a ball, is an excellent example from this corpus that perfectly demonstrates his training in the neo-classical tradition. In comparison to other groups form the Rawson collection, it displays a consistent attention to style, seen in the physiognomy of the face and the 'classical' rendition of the drapery, and in the overall composition through the delicate interaction between the subjects of the group. Consider, for example, the connection between Ulysses and his dog in the group mentioned above, or the Spaniel playing with a Kitten and the group of Ino teaching Bacchus to Dance (Christie's, London, 24 September 1987, lots 180 and 182, and Leeds, op. cit., nos. 58 and G37). In all instances, as with the present lot, Gott not only conceived accomplished neo-classical compositions, but also a vision of the idyllic English family home. One can imagine Rawson wishing to reflect familial ideas through the choice of subjects that reflected the attitudes, pass-times and moral framework of the time. Therefore, Nidd Hall did not merely exhibit neo-classical images, but it presented instructive images of the master with his dog, a light-hearted look at the recreation of the family pets, the children's instruction in dancing and last, but certainly not least, a snapshot of a child's respite playing with his favourite dog.