This bust of Henrietta Pelham forms a pair with that of her husband Charles (Museum no. A.119-1929), whom she married in 1806. Both busts stand on their original wood plinths. A variant dated 1808 is at Brocklesby Park, Lincolnshire, the ancestral home of the Yarboroughs. The present bust may have been shown at the Royal Academy in 1810.

Nollekens was a prolific sculptor of portrait busts and operated a thriving workshop in London. Many of his busts are in the classical style, with loose drapery and antique hairstyles. He spent eight years in Rome from 1762 to 1770, where he worked with Bartolomeo Cavaceppi restoring and copying antique marbles. One of these copies, his group of Castor and Pollux, is in the Museum's collection (Museum no. A.59-1940).

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

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