Sculpture of the Day: Relief of an Unknown Man, 1790-1820

Relief of an Unknown Man
possible Sir Francis Burdett
1790-1820
Polychrome Wax
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Prior to photographs, portraiture was the only way to preserve an image. Whether the portrait was in paint or a three-dimensional sculpture, to sit for such a piece of art was considered a symbol of status and financial comfort.


In the late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries, the use of wax as a medium became more popular. Wax portraits—especially in low relief—were often created as a tribute to a person who has passed.

This bas relief wax plaque of an unknown man was created between 1790 and 1820. Some believe that this curly-headed gentleman is Sir Francis Burdett, but there’s little evidence to support that claim. Regardless of his identity, it’s a beautiful portrait. Still brightly colored and crisp after two centuries, this gentleman’s visage continues to charm us long after his body has gone to dust.

Sculpture of the Day: A Bust of Queen Elizabeth II as a Princess, 1937

Princess Elizabeth
Sigismund de Strobl, 1937
Marble
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty, the Queen, has been the subject of portraits ranging from photographs to sculptures since she was a young girl. This beautiful marble bust, sculpted when the subject was a nine-year-old princess, is the work of Hungarian sculptor Sigismund de Strobl. De Strobl worked on the bust for two years, completing it in 1937.


The sculpture proved so popular that it was reproduced in porcelain and remains one of the most enduring images of the youth of the present Queen.