Greyhound with Puppies
Rome, about 1825-27
Carved white marble, on a variegated marble base
43 x 55 x 37.5 cm
The British sculptor Joseph Gott lived and worked in Rome, the birthplace of neo-classicism, of which style he was a late exponent. His repertoire was broad, but his animal groups attracted the greatest praise from his contemporaries, one of whom acclaimed him as the ‘Landseer of marble’. He made various sculptures featuring greyhounds, inspired by classical examples but convincingly modelled from life, although the composition of the Barber marble is unique.
Acquired with the assistance of the Art Fund, the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Tomasso Brothers Fine Art UK, January 2019 (No. 2019.1).