Bust of Sir Walter Scott by Chantrey in the Philadelphia Museum, August 2009

Bust of Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832)

Sir Francis Chantrey, British, 1781 - 1841

Geography: Made in England, Europe

Date: 1828

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: Approximately: 26 1/4 x 21 x 11 inches (66.7 x 53.3 x 27.9 cm) Diameter (of socle, approximately): 10 1/4 inches (26 cm)

Curatorial Department: European Decorative Arts and Sculpture

Object Location: Gallery 293, European Art 1500-1850, second floor

Accession Number: 2002-222-1

Credit Line: 125th Anniversary Acquisition. Partial and promised gift of Martha J. McGeary Snider, 2002

Label:
When Chantrey executed this bust, Sir Walter Scott-author of Rob Roy and Ivanhoe-was the most famous living writer in Europe. Chantrey, who portrayed many leading figures of the time, devised a cloaklike, tartan garment suitable for Scott's associations with romanticism, medievalism, and Scotland. While the subtle smile captures the author's warm and charming personality, the artist's distinctive use of broad surfaces creates a generalized image intended for posterity.

Text from: www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/107530.html?mulR=134861226|2