Henry Webber (1754–1826) was an English sculptor and modeller.

Life

He was born in July 1754, the son of Abraham Webber, a Swiss sculptor who had settled in England, and his English wife, Maria Quandt. He was apprenticed under John Bacon the Elder and attended the

Royal Academy schools The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

. In 1776 he was awarded the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

Gold Medal. In 1778, Webber was chosen by the Oxford Paving Commission to carry out the sculptures and sphinxes for the

balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

of John Gwynn's Magdalen Bridge. Unfortunately, in 1782 the Commission eventually abandoned this idea, paying a compensation payment and permitting him to keep any sculpture already made. This same year, after being recommended by Sir William Chambers and

Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

, Webber started working for Josiah Wedgwood's at

Etruria Etruria () was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and northern and western Umbria. Etruscan Etruria The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscan civiliza ...

, where he became chief sculptor in 1785, position he held until 1806. In 1787 Wedgewood sent him on a study tour of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, and during this trip he also visited his ancestral home in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and made a trip to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. He returned to england in 1789. Webber is also the author of the monument to

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

in the Poet's Corner in the

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. This had been begun by John Hickey but Hickey had died during the project and it was passed to Webber to complete. He designed several portrait

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be int ...

lions, including the

Sydney Cove medallion Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains ...

. He modelled many of the figures for Wedgwood's Portland Vase He died on 7 August 1826 at the house of Mrs Kincade at 11 South Crescent in Bedford Square in central London.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.418

Monuments

(1797) *

Henry Askew Sir Henry Askew KCB (7 May 1775 – 25 June 1847) was an officer of the British Army. He served during the Napoleonic Wars and fought at the Battle of Waterloo. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general during his career. Biography Askew w ...

in Newcastle Cathedral (1801) *

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webber, Henry 1754 births 1826 deaths 18th-century British sculptors 19th-century British sculptors 18th-century English male artists 19th-century English male artists English male sculptors Wedgwood pottery