Portrait sculpture

Since 1756 the British Museum has acquired, by gift, bequest or purchase, over 80 works of portrait sculpture. They are in a variety of media: marble, bronze, stone, plaster, stoneware, porcelain, earthenware, terracotta, Coade stone and clay. Most of the sitters are eminent statesmen, scholars or authors, and many of the works are by sculptors of reputation.These portraits have been closely studied and catalogued for the first time in this splendidly illustrated volume. Aileen Dawson considers the genesis, material, place in the artists' oeuvre and history in the Museum. Short biographies of both artists and sitters are included.