Antiquities

The Cobham Hall Ancient Roman Busts

Alex Tweedy

4 March 2024

We were delighted to present three impressive Roman busts, which include two over-life-size portraits of Roman empresses, which possess a storied collection history in our March Classical Ancient Art auction. Markedly for their having resided in the famed Cobham Hall collection for over two hundred years from the late 18th century.

Classical Ancient Art // Form Through Time

Discover the auction results from our London auction on 21 March 2024.

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The Cobham Hall Ancient Roman Busts with Head of Sale Alex Tweedy

Join Alex as he discusses the impressive Roman busts featuring in our recent Classical Ancient Art auction.

Cobham Hall has been the residence of various aristocratic families, each leaving their mark on its architecture and landscape. The earliest records of the estate in the 16th century trace back to the Cobham family, who played a significant role in shaping its architectural identity. The Tudor origins of the house are evident in its striking facade, characterised by intricate brickwork and mullioned windows, reflecting the architectural style of the era. In the 17th century the Darnley’s acquired Cobham Hall through marriage, when Sir Charles Heneage, later the 1st Earl of Darnley, married Lady Catherine, the heiress of the estate. The Darnleys have been associated with Cobham Hall ever since, with various family members residing there over the years until the mid-20th century.

Especially notable for his influence on the estate is John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley. His intense activity between 1781 and 1831 left the house and grounds thoroughly changed. He hired the distinguished architects James Wyatt and the Reptons, who would redesign the interior completely, extend and alter the wings, and give the building and gardens a Neoclassical styling, in accordance with the popular aesthetic in the late 18th century. Most importantly though, the 4th Earl also integrated an extensive antiquities collection acquired from the continent in the design. These were beautifully presented in the remodelled interior and gardens, often in dedicated niches.

A number of Rome based dealers were active in the late eighteenth century, amongst the most notable was the Italian-born William Jenkins, who made his name as an antiquarian specialising in the sale of ancient Roman and Greek artifacts. He acted as an intermediary between Italian dealers, local excavators, and British buyers, facilitating the acquisition of antiquities for his clientele and played a crucial role in shaping the collections of British aristocrats. This included the Earl of Shelburne (later Marquess of Lansdowne), Sir William Hamilton and Charles Townley, whose impressive collection is now in the British Museum. The great German archaeologist Joachim Winckelmann even favourably mentioned Jenkin’s acquisitions and knowledge. Jenkins worked closely with Gavin Hamilton, a Scottish artist, archaeologist, and antiquarian who also resided in Rome. He is best known for his archaeological excavations, including at sites such as Hadrian’s Villa and the Roman Forum. A number of pieces are known to have been rediscovered by Hamilton, such as Theseus battling the Minotaur now housed in the British Museum, with a plaster cast of the sculpture displayed at the site of its discovery in Tivoli.

ROMAN OVER-LIFE-SIZE MARBLE PORTRAIT HEAD OF POMPEIA PLOTINA | SOLD FOR £745,201*

The present large portrait of Pompeia Plotina, wife of the emperor Trajan, depicts her as an idealised beauty. Portrait sculpture from this period often reflected the influence of Greek artistic conventions, with an emphasis on ideal proportions and serene expressions. The era also saw a resurgence of interest in traditional Roman values, indeed both Pliny and Dio Chrysostom asserted that Trajan was conservative in nature, acting as a guardian of established norms. As such, idealised portrait sculpture helped to promote these values by portraying imperial figures as exemplars of Roman virtue. By depicting Trajan and his wider family as embodiments of these virtues, artists reinforced the idea of the emperor.

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It highly likely that the 4th Earl would have been in contact with Jenkins to arrange for his purchases. The prominent antiquarian Ennio Quirino Visconti casually mentions that the family of the Earls of Darnley were purchasers of antiquities from the Villa Massimi-Negroni-Montalto and other well-known late eighteenth-century Roman collections. The statue of the Emperor Hadrian, sold by Christie’s in New York on 29 October 2019 could certainly be traced back to the Villa[1] and subsequently Thomas Jenkins. Based on the present illustration, one can clearly see how the busts would have been presented in a similar style, as the red marble plinths they are sold with are a close comparison to the one seen on the right side of the image.

The present three busts show evidence of 18th century restoration and there is a suggestion that it is the work of Bartholomeo Cavaceppi (1716-99) or his workshop. Cavaceppi was both extraordinarily successful and highly prolific, he was involved in the restoration of the Red Faun in the Capitoline Museum, which was found in fragments at Tivoli in 1736: only the trunk, the head, the fruit on the nebris as well as a bit of skin from the leg and one thumb were discovered. Cavaceppi restored the figure to completion, and today it is a prominent example in the Capitoline collection. In 1751 Cavaceppi started to work directly for English collectors, often without intermediary dealers. He painstakingly recorded sculptures he sold in his work Raccolta d’antiche statue, showing his international dealings and especially that many of his items ended up in England.

ROMAN OVER-LIFE-SIZE MARBLE PORTRAIT HEAD OF FAUSTINA THE ELDER | | SOLD FOR £745,201*

The present piece depicts the empress Faustina the Elder, wife of emperor Antoninus Pius, and dates to around 135 – 140 A.D. It is a highly idealised and rejuvenated image. Her hairstyle is not a traditional Roman one but is rather inspired by the imagery of the goddess Hera.

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The interest in antiquities was so intense in Great Britain that the trade in Rome in the latter half of the eighteenth century ended up largely in British hands. With the two central figures being Gavin Hamilton and Thomas Jenkins.

Throughout the 19th century the collection, later described as “outstanding” by Vermeule, remained in situ at Cobham Hall, but throughout the century financial difficulties appeared slowly set in for the family. One mention, from the family’s point of view, of problems with money came when lvo Bligh asked permission from his father, John 6th of Darnley, to marry Florence Morphy in 1883. He wrote to his son saying that he could not possibly afford a wedding at that time. The exact reasons why the estate began to fail are not clear. John 6th Earl of Darnley died in December 1896 and his son Edward 7th of Darnley died unexpectedly in 1900. The family would therefore have had to pay two sets of death duties within four years.

ROMAN MARBLE PORTRAIT BUST OF A LADY | SOLD FOR £200,201*

The present piece is a privately commissioned bust of an aristocratic lady of the 2nd century A.D., both the portrait style and distinctive front tied plaits are diagnostic of the middle-late Hadrianic period (cf. in this respect: Felletti Maj, Ritratti 104, no 198; Richter, Roman Portraits no 65; Ashmole, Ince no 91). The style of the drapery depicted was fully developed by the 120’s A.D., for comparison, see the bust of the Empress Sabina, Museo del Prado, accession number E000210.

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In 1924, Ivo and Florence, the 8th Earl and Countess of Darnley, even had to leave Cobham Hall to live at nearby Puckle Hill as the estate had become too expensive to run. Their son however, Esme, the 9th Earl of Darnley, was determined to return to Cobham Hall and make the estate viable. He ran a commercial Nursery business both at Cobham Hall and at his private residence at Westlands in Burstow in Surrey, built a swimming pool and boating lake with a tea-rooms and restaurant called The Laughing Water and extended the opening of the Hall and grounds to leisure visitors. Finally, the 9th Earl had to sell Cobham Hall in 1955. It was acquired by the Westwood Educational Trust and it became Cobham Hall Girls School which it still is today.

Sotheby’s held a sale of the contents of Cobham Hall in London on 22 and 23 July 1957, where the three busts were acquired for the collection of Great House, Dedham, where they resided for a further eighty years.

Illustrated top: Cobham Hall in the County of Kent, from The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, drawn and etched by John Bayly (British, active 1755–82) 1777–90. Metropolitan Museum of Art Accession Number: 2014.599.17; Interior view of a ground-floor entrance corridor and staircase at Cobham Hall, decorated with classical style motifs and classical sculptures, circa 1910-40. Photographer: Brunell, W J. Historic England Archive Reference: CC45/01387 NMR07