Fine Pair of Lead 18th Century Statues of Mars and Minerva by John Nost

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About the Item

The property of Viscount Weymouth. Viewable strictly by appointment at Longleat House in Wiltshire. (see contact details) A fine and rare pair of lead early 18th century statues of Mars and Minerva after the Roman. Believed to be his only known examples in this form and recently attributed to John Van Nost the Elder by the leading expert and restorer to HM the Queen, Rupert Harris. A full report is available. Sympathetically restored by H Crowther Ltd of London and standing on contemporary limestone plinths made by Longleat estate stonemasons. Both standing approximately 210 cm to the spear top upon bases of 156.5 x 76 cm sq, 366.5 in total height. Currently in the collection of Ceawlin Thynn and guarding at the entrance to the stable yard at Longleat. Acquired by Sir Philip Sassoon, 3rd Baronet and MP in the early 1920s for Trent Park. Sassoon had acquired many works from the sales at Stowe House and the demolition of Devonshire House Piccadilly in the early 19th century for the landscaping of Trent Park. Recently attributed to John Van Nost the Elder by the leading expert and restorer to HM the Queen, Rupert Harris. A full report is available. Originally from Mechelen in Belgium, he crossed the North Sea to work in England in the second half of the 17th century, gaining employed with the sculptor Arnold Quellin as a foreman. After Quellin's death in 1686 Nost married his widow, and established his own sculptural works business at Hyde Park Corner in London. He was prolific and received many commissions, including employment at Hampton Court Palace, Melbourne Hall, Castle Howard, Buckingham Palace and Chatsworth. Many of his statues were in cast lead. Van Nost died at his home at Hyde Park in London on 26 April 1729. The disputed death date of John van Nost is an example of the grey areas that surround early lead ornament. The question of authentication of early English lead work is fraught with difficulty. The workshop passed to Andries Charpentiere before John Cheer took over in 1737, both used and adapted moulds created by Van Nost. Work attributed to Nost the Elder • Statue of Sir Hugh Wyndham (judge) at Silton, Dorset (1692) • Figures of a Boy and Girl, Chatsworth House (1698) • Monument to John Digby, 3rd Earl of Bristol, Sherborne, Dorset (1698) • Pair of amorini, Melbourne Hall (1699) for his patron, Thomas Coke • Fireplace for Thomas Coke's London house on St James Place (1699) • Various mythological figures for the gardens of Melbourne Hall (1700) • Coat of Arms on entrance piers, fireplaces and marble tables, Hampton Court (1700) • Flower Pot Gates, Hampton Court (1700) • Statues of King William III and Queen Mary, Royal Exchange, London, (c.1700) • Fountains at Hampton Court (1701–2) • Multiple fireplaces for Melbourne Hall (1701–7) • The Crouching Venus, Umberslade Hall (1702) • Multiple garden figures for Castle Howard (1703–10) • Statues within the pediment of Buckingham Palace (1705) • Vase of the Seasons, Melbourne Hall (1705) • Fountains and figures for Stonyhurst House (1705–1716) • Monument to James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry, Durisdeer Church, Dumfriesshire (1711) • Garden figures, Stourhead House (c.1714) • Garden figures for Moulsham Hall (1717) (for Humphrey Mildmay) • Equestrian Statue Of George I for Essex Bridge, Dublin (1717) (moved to Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham 1937) • Garden figures for Rousham House (circa 1719) • Statue of Queen Mary for University College, Oxford (1720) • Garden figures for Seaton Delaval Hall (circa1720) • Garden figures for Chirk Castle (circa 1720) • Statue of Sir Robert Geffrye for the almshouses at Shoreditch (1723) (original now at Mottingham with a replica at the almshouses) • Statue of George II for Cannons House (circa 1724) (moved in 1753 to create a centre-piece for Golden Square in London) • Two large vases for Wrest Park (1725) for the Duke of Kent • Statue of George I for Grosvenor Square, London (1726) (stolen 1838). • Garden figures for Boreham House (circa 1728). Condition As described above, many lead sculptures suffered from the corrosion of their internal iron armatures leading to partial collapse and distortion of sculptural form. Both these sculptures have undergone recent restoration to ensure their structural stability and to replace or repair historic damage sustained as a result of structural failure of the iron armature. It is understood that the restoration process included the removal of all the existing internal wrought-iron armature and core material, replacing this with a new structural stainless steel armature. All the damage to the lead was repaired using traditional lead burning techniques, correcting the distortion and replacing the missing detail. The restoration techniques employed are generally accepted as being ethical in terms of conservation practice. There are remains of original paint and gilding on the surface of both these sculptures where restoration work has not taken place. The Minerva has remains of the traditional off white paint used to simulate marble, while Mars has remains of leaf gilding. Both these types of decorative surface are found on lead statuary of the eighteenth century, and presence of traces of paint and gilding would point to these being period pieces. The use of leaf gilding is far less common and suggests that the Mars figure may well have originated from an important property and may not have been placed by the Minerva, as no gilding appears to be present on the surface of this sculpture.

Creator:
John Nost the Younger (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 144 in (365.76 cm)Width: 43.31 in (110.01 cm)Depth: 144.3 in (366.53 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Materials and Techniques:
Cast Stone,Lead,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1705-1725
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Southall, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5808226300392

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