About this artwork
This highly finished terracotta was modeled by Joseph Gott in preparation for a marble portrait of his patron George Banks, a wealthy Yorkshire cloth merchant. Banks sits on a klismos, a style of ancient Greek chair revived by Neoclassical artists during the late 18th century. His pose emulates sculptures from antiquity that depict seated figures resting on one arm with one leg forward. Despite this reference to the idealized grandeur of ancient sculpture, the portrait conveys a modern sense of ease and intimacy. Dressed in contemporary garb, Banks seems to have just turned towards the viewer, his lips slightly parted as if he is about to speak.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 220
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Department
- Painting and Sculpture of Europe
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Artist
- Joseph Gott
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Title
- George Banks
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Place
- England (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1822–1832
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Medium
- Terracotta
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Dimensions
- 53 × 58.5 × 20.6 cm (21 × 23 × 8 1/8 in.)
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Credit Line
- Purchased with funds provided by Constance T. and Donald W. Patterson through the Old Masters Society
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Reference Number
- 2018.13
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/242043/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.