'Winking Head'
possibly John Cheere (London 1709 – London 1787)
Category
Art / Sculpture
Date
circa 1730 - circa 1770
Materials
Measurements
25 cm (Diameter)
Place of origin
Hyde Park Corner
Order this imageCollection
Fountains and Studley Royal, North Yorkshire
NT 530967
Summary
Head from a lead sculpture, possibly of a gamekeeper, and of the style created by John Cheere (1709-1787) based on comparative examples. The head is life-size and wears a cap under which curly hair can be seen. The brim of his cap has been severely damaged. Left eye is depicted as closed with the right fully open, suggested that rather than winking, he is lining up for a shot. Some original paint still visible showing a black cap, dark brown hair and a ruddy complexion. Object is marked with what appear to be bullet holes, suggesting that at some point it was used for target practice.
Provenance
Found at the property and may be referenced in Storer (1830) as a life-size figure of a gamekeeper in the Seven Bridges valley. These figures, painted naturalistically, were popular in some eighteenth-century gardens. Stylistically similar to several surviving and fully intact examples made by John Cheere (1709-1787) - working out of Hyde Park corner, London.
Makers and roles
possibly John Cheere (London 1709 – London 1787), sculptor