Collection of 102 plaster stamps by Nathaniel Marchant (1739–1816)

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Collection of 102 plaster stamps by Nathaniel Marchant (1739–1816)

About the Item

102 plaster stamps with gems, cameos and intaglios divided in two sections. The collection, in excellent condition, documents the vast production of Nathaniel Marchant, an Englishman, medalist and engraver of precious stones who enjoyed great fame among his contemporaries, especially in Rome, where he worked from 1773 and was known under the name of Natale Marchant. Highly awarded by the London Society of Arts, Marchant began in England specializing in the reproduction of ancient statues, carved from the collection of casts of the 3rd Duke of Richmond’s gallery, until he moved to Rome to study the original ancient monuments and reliefs. His gems, made for wealthy patrons like George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, and the Rev. Francis Henry Egerton, and the Roman nobility, from Principe Borghese to the Duke of Ceri, were so successful that soon the artist was recognized as the only rival to Giovanni Pichler, considered until then the most excellent engraver of precious stones present on the Roman scene. The fame in Rome is documented eloquently by the long mention in an article on gemstone incision that appeared on “Memorie per le Belle Arti” in March 1785: “Gode meritamente la stima del pubblico il Sig. Natale Marchant Inglese, noto già per le belle teste incise dall’antico dell’Ercole Farnesiano, e del Lucio Vero della Villa Borghese, oltre molti altri lavori, tra i quali non devono tralasciarsi i due Principi della Poesia Italiana, Dante, ed il Tasso, il primo inciso per il Sig. Conte Alfieri, robusto scrittore di Tragedie, il secondo per il Sig. Duca di Ceri. Ha di fresco terminata in bellissima corniola di oncie due di Palmo Romano l’incisione di una testa di Roma coll’elmo, ordinatagli dal Signor Principe Borghese, e copiata da un busto della bella sua Villa Pinciana…” In 1792 he published in London a catalog of its production, consisting of one hundred models, and 6 more were added in the manuscript catalog of the Amastini collection (Oxford, Ashmolean Museum). A comparison of these two sources enables us to identify the 102 pieces that form this collection, in which there are reproductions of classical figures like Sleeping Ariadne (long called Cleopatra) from the Vatican collection, Amore e Psiche (Cupid and Psyche) from the Capitoline collection, another Capitoline relief of Dacia piangente, the Albani Antinous, the Farnese Hercules and the Rondinini Medusa. The seventeenth-century models chosen by Marchant are two modern classics such as S. Susanna of Duquesnoy and Fortuna by Guido Reni, while between the ones that where inspired from modern paintings we can distinguish the Nozze Aldbrandini and Morte del generale Wolfe, taken from the painting by Benjamin West (1770, Ottawa, National Gallery of Canada ), from the same period. There are also prints of various works of invention, such as the previously mentioned Dante’s profile carved on commission by the Countess of Albany as a gift to Alfieri and life model portraits like those of Lord and Lady Lucan, Colonel Campbell and Pope Pius VI. Alessandra Imbellone

Creator:
Nathaniel Marchant (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)Width: 14.57 in (37 cm)Depth: 2.37 in (6 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Neoclassical (In the Style Of)
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
1790 ca.
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU9748787431