Ludwig Mond (1839-1909) was a chemist, industrialist and art collector; born in Kassel, Germany, Mond moved to Britain in 1867 and became one of the foremost industrial chemists of his period. He developed the mass production of alkali for the textile industry and, later, ammonia, 'Mond gas' and nickel. He spent part of his large fortune on a collection on early Italian art which he bequeathed to the National Gallery. This bronze statuette was sculpted by Edouard Lanteri (1848-1917)