ITALIAN, THE TORSO 17TH CENTURY, THE HEAD 17TH OR 18TH CENTURY

Purchased from the sale of the contents of Warwick Castle in 1997, this half-length bust was probably originally acquired in Italy by either Francis or George Greville, the first and second Earls of Warwick. When fifteen Francis Grevillle embarked on a Grand Tour lasting five years where he greatly added to the family collection. His eldest son, George, inherited in 1773, and was an avid, if financially reckless, collector. A Fellow of the Royal Society he purchased Old Master Paintings, boulle furniture and major works of art, including the famous Warwick vase.