Thomas Mansel Talbot (1747-1813), shown here bare-chested and with long hair, was a wealthy Welsh landowner. He went on the Grand Tour from 1770 to 1775 and commissioned this bust of himself at a cost of £68 - a fairly standard charge - from the Irish sculptor Christopher Hewetson. At the same time he commissioned a bust of Pope Clement XIV (Museum no. A.22-1948).

Hewetson (B. Kilkenny with birth date unclear; d. Rome 1798). He worked in Dublin before moving to Rome to live and work in 1765, where he remained for the rest of his life. He specialised in portrait busts of British visitors on the Grand Tour and established himself as one of the prominent British sculptors working in Rome at that time.

Gallery location:
Sculpture, Room 24, The Dorothy and Michael Hintze Galleries, case P2

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.

Courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London